🇮🇷 Iran
Team Melli arrive at their sixth World Cup, defensively elite.
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Team Melli's Sixth Cup
Iran have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, representing the AFC confederation. Their presence at the tournament is a proud moment for their football nation and for the fans who have followed this journey through every qualifying match.
Iran's Group G hands them Belgium, Egypt, and OFC qualifier New Zealand. Team Melli arrives at their sixth World Cup with the most consistent defensive record in AFC qualifying, anchored by veteran Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
The attacking spine is the strongest in years: Inter Milan's Mehdi Taremi, Shabab Al-Ahli's Sardar Azmoun, and Heerenveen winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh. Coach Amir Ghalenoei's 4-3-3 sits deep and breaks fast, the same blueprint that beat Wales and held the United States in Qatar. A second-place finish ahead of Belgium is realistic.
Group G Draw
All 4 teams in Iran's group. Top 2 advance automatically, plus the 8 best third-placed teams across all 12 groups.
How the 2026 Group Stage Works
Iran's 2026 Squad
Projected, official call-up to be confirmed
Likely first eleven
in a 4-3-3.
Editorial first XI based on qualifying form, club minutes, and Amir Ghalenoei's recent selection. The official sheet is named one hour before kickoff.
- 1Alireza Beiranvand
- 5Shojae Khalilzadeh
- 4Majid Hosseini
- 3Ehsan HajsafiCAPTAIN
- 13Sadegh Moharrami
- 8Saeid Ezatolahi
- 21Saman Ghoddos
- 9Mehdi Taremi
- 20Sardar Azmoun
- 11Alireza Jahanbakhsh
All 23 players
Goalkeepers
3 playersDefenders
7 playersMidfielders
6 playersForwards
7 playersEditorial selection based on current first-team form. The final 26-player squad is at the head coach's discretion and is announced approximately one month before the tournament.
Iran in AFC
Asia (AFC)
AFC sends 8 Asian teams, reflecting the continent's growing football quality. Japan and South Korea regularly reach the knockout stage.
Iran competed against other AFC nations through a multi-year qualifying campaign to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup. The expanded format of 48 teams gave more nations a path to the tournament than ever before.
Other AFC teams at 2026
No Ticket? Watch Iran At a Fan Zone
Every Iran group match is screened live on the giant screen at the FIFA Fan Fest in the host city. Free entry, no queue, just show up. Every other host city also screens every match, so wherever you are, you can join the crowd.
