Iran’s U23 national football team, nicknamed Team Omid, will start its journey to qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup with a match against Hong Kong tomorrow, Wednesday, September 4th, in Abu Dhabi.
Led by coach Omid Ravankhah, the team features several players from the senior national team, Team Melli. The squad is captained by Javad Hosseinnejad, who plays for Dynamo Makhachkala in Russia.
The Group I qualifiers are being hosted by the United Arab Emirates and include Iran, Guam, Hong Kong, and the UAE.
Media coverage has been minimal, following a wave of criticism directed at the Football Federation for appointing what many see as an inexperienced and unsuitable coach to lead Team Omid. The selection of Ravankhah has reignited a long-standing debate about the poor management that has contributed to Iran’s 46-year Olympic qualification drought.
Over the past four decades, numerous notable domestic and international coaches have taken the helm of the U23 team, including Branko Ivanković, Renê Simões, Vinko Begović, Nenad Nikolić, Nelo Vingada, and Zlatko Kranjčar. They were joined by prominent Iranian coaches such as Mohammad Mayeli-Kohan, Ali Reza Mansourian, Hamid Estili, Amir Ghalenoei, Farhad Majidi, Mehdi Mahdavikia, and Reza Enayati. Despite their efforts, none were able to break the cycle of failure. Given this history, many believe Ravankhah’s chances of success are slim.
The following 26 players were called up for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification.