Iran’s World Cup 2026 Prospects: Beiranvand, Taremi, and Missing Azmoun

The faces are familiar. The stage is not. As World Cup 2026 looms into view across the USA, Mexico and Canada, Iran are once again building around a hardened core of veterans, a handful of rising talents, and one glaring absence that hangs over everything.

Beiranvand, from the streets to the spotlight

Between the posts, there is no real debate. Not yet.

Alireza Beiranvand, now 33 and guarding the goal for Tractor, remains the overwhelming favourite to be Iran’s No. 1. More than 80 caps, three World Cup cycles, and one of the competition’s most unforgettable moments: that penalty save from Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, the first spot-kick Portugal had ever missed at a World Cup.

His story has long since crossed into football folklore. The boy who ran away from his nomad family at 12, slept on the streets of Tehran, worked any job he could find, and clawed his way into professional football. Now, barring a late twist, he walks into North America as the senior figure in goal, the man expected to steady Iran when the pressure tightens.

Hossein Hosseini of Sepahan is his closest challenger, a capable deputy with enough quality to step in if required, but for now still living in the shadow of the incumbent. Behind them, Payam Niazmand at Persepolis and young Mohammad Khalifeh of Aluminium Arak FC are fighting for the third spot on the plane, the role that rarely plays but always matters when a tournament stretches legs and nerves.

Steel and silk in midfield

If Beiranvand is the anchor, the heartbeat lies a little further forward.

Saman Ghoddos is central to Amir Ghalenoei’s plans. The Kalba midfielder offers intelligence, versatility and a calmness in possession that Iran will lean on heavily when the tempo rises. Around him, Saeid Ezatolahi, now with Shabab Al Ahli, remains one of the key reference points in the middle of the pitch.

Ezatolahi missed the March friendlies with a foot injury, a reminder of how fragile preparation can be, but the expectation is that he will be fit for the summer. Iran need him. His presence allows Ghalenoei to balance the side: one eye on protection, one on progression.

There is experience in reserve. Omid Noorafkan of Sepahan and Mohammad Ghorbani at Al Wahda both bring know-how and composure, the sort of players managers trust when tournament football becomes about game management as much as flair.

Then there is the new blood. Amir Razzaghinia, the Esteghlal youngster, is the name that catches the eye. An exciting talent, energetic and ambitious, he could become one of the World Cup’s surprise stories if Ghalenoei decides the stage is big enough for his breakthrough. It will take courage from the coach and conviction from the player.

Taremi, still the reference point

Up front, nothing has changed. And yet, everything has.

Mehdi Taremi remains the star around whom Iran’s attack orbits. At 33, heading towards his third World Cup, the Olympiacos striker arrives with more than 100 caps and over 50 international goals behind him. He is still the man expected to decide games, still the one opponents mark first on the team sheet.

His form in Greece has kept his numbers high and his confidence intact. He knows what it feels like to score at this level; his brace against England in the 6-2 defeat at Qatar 2022 was a reminder that even on a bruising night, he finds a way to leave a mark.

Around him, the supporting cast is deep and varied.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh, now with FCV Dender EH after spells with Brighton and in the Eredivisie, offers width and work-rate from the flanks. Mehdi Ghayedi, currently at Al-Nasr, is another near-certainty for the squad, a player capable of injecting pace and unpredictability into tight contests.

Options keep stacking up:

• Ehsan Mahroughi (Foolad)
• Ali Alipour and Hossein Abarghouei (both Persepolis)
• Shahriyar Moghanlou (Kalba)
• Mohammad Mohebi (Rostov)
• Amirhossein Mahmoudi and Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (both Tractor)
• Ali Gholizadeh (Ekstraklasa)
• Mehdi Torabi (Tractor)

Each brings something slightly different, from direct running to link play, from set-piece quality to sheer industry. Ghalenoei has depth. What he no longer has, at least for now, is his most prolific partner for Taremi.

The Azmoun void

Sardar Azmoun’s name does not appear in the March call-ups. That absence speaks louder than any headline.

With 57 goals in 91 internationals, Azmoun has been one of Asia’s deadliest forwards, a natural foil to Taremi and a constant threat in the box. Yet he was left out of the March friendlies after reports alleging a perceived act of disloyalty to the government. The expectation is that he will not feature at the World Cup.

If that holds, Iran lose not just a finisher, but a focal point, a striker whose movement and presence have shaped the national team’s attack for years. Replacing his numbers is one task. Replacing his aura is another.

Into that space steps Dennis Eckert. Born and raised in Europe, with Iranian ancestry, the Standard Liege forward has been called up by Ghalenoei for the two March games. It is an audition under intense scrutiny: a chance to prove he can translate club form into a role on one of international football’s biggest stages.

Eckert does not need to become Azmoun. He needs to become useful, reliable, and trusted in his own right. If he does, Iran’s attacking picture shifts again.

The shape of Team Melli

Ghalenoei’s Iran is unlikely to spring a tactical revolution. The structure looks familiar, the details decisive.

A traditional back four should anchor the side in 2026. Salheh Hardani is the leading option at right-back, with Milad Mohammadi expected to patrol the opposite flank. In the centre, Shojae Khalilzadeh and Hossein Kanaanizadegan form a rugged, experienced partnership, the kind of duo built for tournament attrition.

In front of them, the spine tightens. Ezatolahi and Ghoddos as a two-man midfield offers a blend of screening and creativity, a double pivot that can both break up play and feed the line of attackers ahead.

From there, the plan sharpens into a 4-2-3-1.

Jahanbakhsh on one wing, Ghayedi on the other, and Mohammad Mohebi drifting between the lines behind Taremi. Pace, trickery, and a focal striker who thrives on service. When it clicks, this XI can hurt teams in multiple ways.

Predicted Iran Starting XI for World Cup 2026 (4-2-3-1): Beiranvand; Hardani, Khalilzadeh, Kanaanizadegan, Mohammedi; Ezatolahi, Ghoddos; Jahanbakhsh, Ghayedi, Mohebi; Taremi.

Experience in goal. Steel in midfield. A proven scorer up front. The pieces are there. The question now is simple and unforgiving: without Sardar Azmoun, can this version of Team Melli finally turn promise into something lasting on the World Cup stage?