Iran’s preparation for their fourth consecutive World Cup has faced major obstacles due to ongoing military conflicts with the United States and Israel, creating significant challenges for coach Amir Ghalenoei as he works to get his veteran-heavy roster ready for competition.
The disruption has been particularly severe because nearly all of Ghalenoei’s players except six compete in Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League, which has been on hold for several weeks due to the ongoing hostilities.
Ghalenoei has recognized that this World Cup marks the end of an era for many of his veteran players.
“We hope to put on acceptable performances at the World Cup, and then prepare for the Asian Cup, because after the World Cup we will also undergo a generational change,” he said recently.
The team will face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in group play during the June 11 to July 19 tournament, which offers what may be the final opportunity for success for many squad members who were previously anticipated to finally break through to the knockout rounds but fell short.
Throughout Iran’s six World Cup participations dating to their first appearance in 1978, the nation has been eliminated during group play every time, managing just three victories across 18 total matches.
The most heartbreaking exits occurred during the previous two tournaments, when Iran secured victories against Morocco in 2018 and Wales in 2022 but still failed to advance to the round of 16.
Several standout players from those campaigns under former coach Carlos Queiroz are still on the roster, with 16 players now 30 or older, including defenders Shoja Khalilzadeh (37) and Ehsan Hajsafi (36).
Veteran striker Mehdi Taremi, who previously starred as a prolific goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League while playing for Porto, remains part of the squad at 33 but no longer poses the same offensive threat he once did.
Taremi will be without his usual attacking partner Sardar Azmoun, who was not chosen for the squad, while captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh prepares for his fourth World Cup tournament.
Even with an older roster showing signs of wear, Iran believes they have a realistic chance of advancing to the round of 32 in the expanded tournament format, where finishing third in their group could be sufficient to continue playing.
