Iran’s World Cup squad announced

Persianfootball.com – MOSCOW, Iran’s official 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup has been announced on Monday.

Despite a lot of rumours that one of the stand-by players – Hossein Hosseini, Jalal Hosseini, Vouria Ghafouri and Kaveh Rezaei – would make a surprise return to the squad, Queiroz kept 23 of his previously announced 24-man roster and only dropped youngster Ali Gholizadeh as surplus player.

The 22-year-old winger, who just signed with Belgian club Charleroi, will, however, accompany the rest of the squad to the final training camp in Russia, and would be the first candidate to replace an injured player.

With 12 European based players it is the highest amount of legionnaires from the strongest football contintent in an Iranian World Cup squad ever, doubling the number in comparison to the two previous appearances in 2014 and 2006.

Iran will play a final friendly match versus Lithuania behind closed doors on Friday, before they will face Morocco in their first game at the 2018 World Cup finals.

Below comes the full squad.

Goalkeepers:
Alireza Beiranvand – Persepolis
Rashid Mazaheri – Zob Ahan
Amir Abedzadeh – Maritimo, POR

Defenders:
Ramin Rezaeian – Oostende, BEL
Mohammad-Reza Khanzadeh – Padideh
Morteza Pouraliganji – Al Sadd, QAT
Pejman Montazeri – Esteghlal
Rouzbeh Cheshmi – Esteghlal
Majid Hosseini – Esteghlal
Milad Mohammadi – FC Akhmat, RUS

Midfielders:
Saeid Ezatollahi – Amkar, RUS
Ehsan Hajsafi – Olympiacos, GRE
Omid Ebrahimi – Esteghlal
Masoud Shojaei – AEK Athens, GRE
Ashkan Dejagah – Nottingham Forest, ENG

Wingers:
Alireza Jahanbakhsh – AZ Alkmaar, NED
Mehdi Taremi – Al Gharaffa, QAT
Saman Ghoddos – Oestersunds, SWE
Vahid Amiri – Persepolis
Mehdi Torabi – Saipa

Strikers:
Sadar Azmoun – Rubin Kazan, RUS
Karim Ansarifard – Olympiacos, GRE
Reza Ghoochannejhad – Heerenveen, NED