Tayyebi, Mohammadi shortlisted for Jako Futsal Awards
Iranian captain Hossein Tayyebi has been nominated for the Best Men’s Player in the World prize, while Baqer Mohammadi has been shortlisted for Best Men’s Goalkeeper at the annual Jako Futsal Awards.
The winners in all categories of the 26th edition of the prestigious awards will be announced by Futsalplanet.com on Wednesday.
Both Tayyebi and Mohammadi played decisive roles in helping Iran win the gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh in November.
Prolific pivot Tayyebi scored twice as Iran defeated Morocco 5–0 in the final, avenging their last-16 setback against the African powerhouse at the 2024 World Cup. Meanwhile, Mohammadi pulled off a string of heroic saves to keep the Atlas Lions at bay, capping an MVP-worthy tournament in the Saudi capital.
Tayyebi will face competition from Brazilian trio Bruninho, Marcel de Mendonça Marques, and Pito, as well as Morocco’s Soufiane El Mesrar and Spain’s Pablo Ramírez for the prize.
Mohammadi, meanwhile, will be joined by Brazilian goalkeepers Dennis Vasconcelos Cavalcanti, Léo, and Matheus Marcos de Lima Assunção, along with Argentina’s Freijo Riveras and Uruguay’s Mathías Gabriel Fernández Krigeris in the race for the award.
Tayyebi and Mohammadi will both be part of the Iranian squad at the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup, which kicks off on January 27 in Indonesia.
The Asian powerhouse will begin its quest for a record-extending 14th continental crown against Malaysia in Group D, before facing Saudi Arabia two days later.
Vahid Shamsaei’s men will conclude the group stage against Afghanistan on February 1 – a rematch of the 2-2 draw when the two sides met at the Islamic Solidarity Games.
The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals.