Sports · Full coverage
Iran’s Top Striker Is Left Out of the World Cup Squad After Clash With the Regime
How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
100% centerFirst reported by Mako · Jun 15, 2026
Center 2
What happened
Iran has left star striker Sardar Azmoun out of its World Cup squad, with the omission tied to his political stance rather than fitness. The 31-year-old forward, a former Zenit St. Petersburg standout, has publicly backed Iranian women and criticized the regime.
- 01Azmoun was omitted from Iran’s World Cup squad for political reasons, not injury.
- 02He is third on Iran’s all-time scoring list and scored 57 goals in 91 caps.
- 03The IRGC accused him of “collaborating with Iran’s enemies” after a January photo post.
- 04Coach Amir Ghalenoei compared the situation to Neymar missing Brazil games.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
In this story
People
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