Saturday 21/March/2026 – 12:33 AM
International press reports revealed the exclusion of the national team’s second all-time top scorer Iran -Egypt’s competitor in the 2026 World Cup- was removed from their list by government decision after he was accused of treason after taking a photo with the Emir of Dubai.
Egypt’s competitor in the World Cup… the Iranian national team star was excluded by a government decision after he was accused of treason
According to the AlterFútbol network, Sardar Azmoun, one of the most prominent players of the Iranian national team in recent years, was excluded from the national team squad during the current international break in March, and the decision was announced semi-officially in the previous days, before it was confirmed today with the official national team list.
The reason for the exclusion is due to the striker posting a series of photos on his Instagram account with prominent figures in the UAE government. This decision comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the Arab Gulf states, and the striker may be prohibited from participating in the 2026 World Cup.
The 31-year-old striker, who currently plays for Shabab Al-Ahly club in Dubai, shared photos from his meeting with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. In his post, Azmoun expressed his pride in meeting one of the most successful minds in the world. The post sparked an immediate reaction from the Iranian authorities, who interpreted the gesture as solidarity with a country that Iran considers an enemy in the context of the current armed conflict.
The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was the first to publish the news of the striker’s exclusion. The agency quoted a source close to the national team’s technical staff confirming Azmoun’s exclusion from the squad. The Revolutionary Guards channel on the Telegram application published a statement in which it described the player’s visit as cooperation with Iran’s enemies, and warned of the possibility of taking legal measures against him. Shortly thereafter, Azmoun deleted the photos from his account, but that did not stop the escalation of criticism directed at him.
Iranian state television has intensified the controversy with harsh comments from its sports commentators. Mohammad Massaji, one of the country’s most prominent sports analysts, claimed that the striker did not deserve to wear the national team’s jersey, considering it childish and unbecoming of someone who represents Iran in international competitions. Meanwhile, Novad News reported that an order had been issued to confiscate Azmoun’s assets, along with those of fellow striker Mehdi Ghaidi and former international player Soroush Rafiee, both of whom reside in the United Arab Emirates.
Azmoun’s exclusion comes at a time of uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup. Since the start of the American and Israeli air strikes on Iran in late February, the Iranian Football Association has been facing a state of uncertainty, and the Iranian Sports Minister stated that his country will not be able to participate in the tournament organized by the United States following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, said a few days ago that the national team is preparing to participate in the World Cup, but intends to boycott the matches scheduled on American soil. Iran is negotiating with FIFA to move the group stage matches to Mexico, but the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has recently tightened its position and expressed its unwillingness to change the schedule or the venues for holding the matches.
Azmoun scored 57 goals in 91 international matches since his first appearance in 2014. He participated in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At the club level, he played with Rubin Kazan, Rostov, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Bayer Leverkusen, and Roma, before joining the United Arab Emirates.
In his first season with Shabab Al-Ahly, he scored 26 goals in all competitions, and was a key player in the team’s victory in the league title and the Emirates Cup. His absence will constitute a major void in the team’s attack, which is essentially facing an ambiguous situation in the tournament held in North America.
