Jahanbakhsh omitted as Iran names roster for Al Ain tourney
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has named a 26-man squad for the upcoming four-nation friendly tournament in Al Ain, UAE – which also features Egypt, Cape Verde, and Uzbekistan.
Iran will face Cape Verde on Thursday, with the winner taking on Egypt or Uzbekistan the following Tuesday.
The tournament will be part of Iran’s preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup – starting June 11 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Cape Verde capped off a fairytale run in the African qualifiers by defeating Eswatini 3-0 in October to clinch its maiden World Cup berth, becoming the second smallest country in the tournament’s history.
Iranian skipper Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who joined FCV Dender EH in the Belgian Pro League last week, has been left out of the squad for this international break “to make up for his absence in preseason and to develop his physical fitness with his club,” according to the Iranian Football Federation.
Sardar Azmoun, Mahdi Qayedi, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Mohammad-Mahdi Mohebbi, and Ali Qolizadeh are the other high-profile absentees from Iran’s squad, all sidelined with injuries.
Hossein Kan’anizadegan is back in the roster after missing October’s international break with injury, while his Persepolis teammate Mohammad Omri earned a call-up following a couple of impressive performances for the Tehran Reds in the Iranian league.
Kayserispor center-back Seyyed Majid Hosseini has been named in the squad for the first time in nearly two years, having struggled with numerous injuries since the 2023 Asian Cup, while midfielder Hadi Habibinejad earns his first international call-up after guiding Chadormalou to a surprise top spot in the Iranian top-flight table.
The following is Iran’s 26-man squad for the friendly tournament in Al Ain:
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Tractor), Seyyed Payam Niazmand (Persepolis), Seyyed Hossein Hosseini (Sepahan), Mohammadreza Akhbari (Sepahan)
Defenders: Shoja Khalilzadeh (Tractor), Hossein Kan’anizadegan (Persepolis), Seyyed Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Mohammad-Amin Hazbavi (Sepahan), Saleh Hardani (Esteghlal), Arya Yousefi (Sepahan), Danial Esmaeilifar (Tractor), Milad Mohammadi (Persepolis), Ali Ne’mati (Foolad Khuzestan)
Midfielders: Saeid Ezzatollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Mohammad Qorbani (Al Wahda), Saman Qoddous (Ittihad Kalba), Omid Nourafkan (Sepahan), Mohammad Mohebbi (FC Rostov), Mahdi Hashemnejad (Tractor), Alireza Koushki (Esteghlal), Mahdi Tikdari (Golgohar Sirjan), Hadi Habibinejad (Chadormalou)
Strikers: Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (Tractor), Mohammad Omri (Persepolis), Ali Alipour (Persepolis), Mahdi Taremi (Olympiacos).