Azmoun back in the fray for Uzbekistan, Russia friendlies
Prolific striker Sardar Azmoun has received a call-up from head coach Amir Qalenoei as Iran named a 26-man squad for friendly meetings with two familiar opponents in recent years, Uzbekistan and Russia, during the upcoming FIFA international break.
The third all-time scorer for the Iranian national team with 57 goals in 91 caps, Azmoun was left out of the squad for June’s FIFA World Cup, where Team Melli failed to advance to the knockout stage after three successive draws against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G.
While Qalenoei insisted at the time that “nothing other than technical criteria” played a part in his team selection for the global showpiece, Azmoun’s omission was widely believed to have been driven by off-field issues, following his controversial social media post regarding the regional war in the early stages of the conflict, which began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran on February 28.
Qalenoei’s side will take on Uzbekistan in Fergana on Thursday, looking to beat the Central Asian foe for the first time since the 2023 CAFA Championship final.
The two sides shared the spoils in four 2026 World Cup qualification games before Uzbekistan won 1-0 in extra time in the 2025 CAFA final and then emerged victorious in a shootout when they met in a friendly tournament in the United Arab Emirates last November.
Iran will then play Russia in Kazan on Tuesday, which will mark a third friendly between the two sides since Qalenoei was appointed to the national team job for a second spell in March 2023.
Meanwhile, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, who also missed the World Cup, has been overlooked by the Iranian head coach yet again, despite the versatile winger bagging seven goals and two assists in 15 appearances across all competitions for Lech Poznan after joining the Polish top-flight champions in the summer.
Unlike Sayyadmanesh, Shahab Zahedi has received recognition from Qalenoei for his flying form with Malaysia Super League champion Johor Darul Ta’zim, which has seen the 31-year-old striker score a remarkable 10 goals in eight games for the club this season.
The two friendlies will be part of Iran’s preparations for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which kicks off on January 7 in Saudi Arabia.
A semifinalist at the previous two editions, Iran will begin its bid for a fourth Asian Cup title – and its first since 1976 – against China in Group C, which also features Kyrgyzstan and Syria, at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on January 9.
Established national team players in recent years Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Hossein Kananizadegan, Saman Qoddous, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Shahriar Moghanlou, Ali Alipour, Milad Mohammadi and Mahdi Qayedi, who all represented the national team at the World Cup, have also missed out on a call-up for the upcoming games.
The following is Iran’s 26-man squad for the friendly games against Uzbekistan and Russia:
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Tractor), Payam Niazmand (Persepolis), Seyyed Hossein Hosseini (Sepahan)
Defenders: Mohammad Naderi (Tractor), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan), Shoja Khalilzadeh (Tractor), Mohammad-Mahdi Zare (Persepolis), Aref Aghasi (Esteghlal), Saman Fallah (Esteghlal), Saleh Hardani (Esteghlal), Aria Yousefi (Sepahan), Ramin Rezaeian (Foolad Khuzestan), Ali Nemati (Lusail SC)
Midfielders: Aref Haji-Eidi (Sepahan), Omid Nourafkan (Sepahan), Mahdi Limouchi (Sepahan), Mohammad-Mahdi Mohebbi (Persepolis), Amirhossein Mahmoudi (Persepolis), Milad Sourgi (Shams Azar), Saeid Ezzatollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Mohammad Qorbani (Al Wahda FC), Mohammad Mohebbi (HNK Rijeka)
Strikers: Mahdi Taremi (Al Wasl), Sardar Azmoun (Shabab Al Ahli), Dennis Eckert (Standard Liège), Shahab Zahedi (Johor Darul Ta’zim)