Sardar Azmoun, Iran’s top scorer still in action, has been excluded from the national team for the final World Cup preparation matches. This decision has caused controversy in Iran. Azmoun, the active leading scorer for the Iranian team and the second highest scorer in the country’s history (57 goals in 91 appearances), has been left out of the team for the upcoming matches. While uncertainty looms over Iran’s participation in the World Cup, the team is set to face Nigeria on Friday, March 27, and Costa Rica on Wednesday, March 31.
The news comes from the Fars news agency, close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Azmoun shared a photo on Instagram this week showing his meeting with the Emir of Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This gesture by the former player of Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma was seen as disloyalty to the government, leading to his exclusion from the national team.
Recently, the UAE has been targeted by Iran amidst the conflict in the Middle East between Iran and the US-Israel coalition. The Gulf country is currently in a defensive position but may retaliate. High tensions between Iran and the UAE over claimed territories could escalate the situation further.
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