Iranian Footballer Azmoun Omitted from National Squad Following Encounter with Dubai Official

Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun has been left out of the national team's squad for two upcoming World Cup warm-up matches, with local media outlets citing a perceived act of disloyalty as the reason for his exclusion.

Azmoun, 27, who has scored 57 goals in 91 international appearances, was noticeably absent from the 35-man squad announced by coach Amir Ghalenoei on Friday for friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica in Antalya, Turkey.

According to reports, Azmoun's expulsion stems from a photo he posted on Instagram, showing a meeting with Dubai's ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which drew criticism from Iranian authorities amid heightened tensions between Iran and the UAE.

The image was posted following US and Israeli air strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and has been widely condemned, with a report by the Fars News Agency confirming Azmoun's expulsion from the national team.

The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has not responded to requests for comment on the matter, leaving many questions unanswered about Azmoun's future with the team.

Iran's participation in the upcoming World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, remains under scrutiny due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, and Azmoun's exclusion has only added to the uncertainty.

CNN reported that Azmoun later removed the Instagram photos, but the damage had already been done, and he faced further condemnation on state television, with soccer pundit Mohammad Misaghi questioning his fitness to represent the country.

Misaghi stated, "It's unfortunate that you don't have enough sense to understand what kind of behaviour is appropriate at a given time," and emphasized that national team players should be people who proudly represent their country.

He also said, "We should not mince words with such people, they should be told that they are not worthy of wearing the national team jersey," and expressed frustration with what he saw as "sulking and childish behaviour" from Azmoun.

Misaghi's comments were made as images of the Iranian women's national team returning from Australia circulated, with seven members of the delegation having sought asylum after being labelled "wartime traitors" on state television for not singing the national anthem at the Women's Asian Cup.

An unsourced report on Novad News also suggested that Iranian authorities had ordered the seizure of assets belonging to Azmoun, fellow UAE-based forward Mehdi Ghayedi, and former international Soroush Rafiei, although this has not been confirmed.