In-form Sayyadmanesh remains in hunt for World Cup ticket
Allahyar Sayyadmanesh will hope his run of impressive performances in the Belgian top flight convinces national team head coach Amir Qalenoei to name the striker in the Team Melli roster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which starts June 11 in North America.
The 24-year-old striker has produced some of the best football of his career for KVC Westerlo this season, bagging seven goals and five assists in 29 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League. He delivered a two-goal contribution last week as Westerlo overcame a three-goal deficit to play to a 3-3 draw at home against OH Leuven in the league’s European playoffs, remaining in contention for a place in continental club competition next season.
Playing as a left-sided wingback in a 3-4-3 system – a testament to his tactical flexibility – Sayyadmanesh earned a match-high rating of 8.6 and a place in the league’s Team of the Week for the third time this season.
His numbers have translated to a direct goal contribution roughly every 207 minutes – an impressive figure for the Iranian, who struggled with consistency over past campaigns with Fenerbahçe, Istanbulspor, Zorya Luhansk, and Hull City since leaving Esteghlal in 2019 to embark on the next chapter of his career in European club football.
Discovered during the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India, where he scored against Guinea, Mexico, and Germany during his team’s run to the quarterfinals, Sayyadmanesh went on to become Iran’s youngest-ever goalscorer. He netted against Syria under then-Belgian head coach Marc Wilmots at just 17 years, 11 months, and eight days in his senior international debut in June 2019.
That goal has remained the sole strike of his senior international career, which includes just nine caps – the last one coming in a cameo appearance in a friendly against Tanzania in September 2025.
However, with Qalenoei facing significant questions about his squad selection for the global showpiece, Sayyadmanesh’s recent club form has reignited discussions about his potential.
While players in Iran’s domestic league have been without competitive action since February amid the country’s military conflict with the United States and Israel, the head coach will likely have to build his team around overseas players. Recent setbacks, however, have added further blows to his preparation program – beyond ongoing issues related to securing friendly matches and visa approvals for players who completed their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – with less than 40 days until the Group G opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles.
Lech Poznań’s winger Ali Gholizadeh has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a ligament injury in the Polish league last week, while captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh faces a race against time to be fit for the showpiece. Prolific striker Sardar Azmoun, meanwhile, is unlikely to be part of the squad due to his recent off-field issues.
With all the shortcomings in Qalenoei’s way, the versatile Sayyadmanesh – who has proven capable of playing on the flanks – has definitely made a case for being a surprise inclusion in the Team Melli roster for the World Cup.