Iran National Team Announces Preliminary Squad for 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

. The last two FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers to be held in Doha and Mashhad

The team Melli coaching staff , unveiled its preliminary squad consisting of Domestic League players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Qatar and North Korea. The selected players are required to report to the National Football Center by 10:30 AM on Thursday, June 1st, for training camp.

Key Players Called Up

The roster includes:

  • Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand , Payam Niazmand, Parsa Jafari, Mohammad Khalilzadeh
  • Defenders: , Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Aref Aghasi, Morteza Pouraliganji, Mohammad Amin Hezbavi, Aria Yousefi, Yaqoub Barajeh
  • Midfielders: , Aref Haji Eidi, Mohammad Karimi, Mehdi Torabi, Mehdi Hashemnejad, Mohammad Mehdi Mohebi
  • Forwards: Mohammad Askari, Amir Hossein Hosseinzadeh, Ali Alipour

Club Representation

  • Tractor SC leads with six call-ups: Beiranvand, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Aghasi, Torabi, Hashemnejad, and Hosseinzadeh.
  • Persepolis follows with five players: Mohammadi, Niazmand (who recently joined from Sepahan), Pouraliganji, Barajeh, and Alipour.
  • Sepahan contributes four players: Hezbawi, Yousefi, Karimi, and Mohebi.
  • Foolad Khuzestan has two representatives: Askari and Nemati.
  • Zob Ahan and Aluminum each have one player: Jafari and Haji Eidi, respectively. (Notably, Haji Eidi parted ways with Aluminum after the conclusion of the 24th Persian Gulf Pro League season.)

New Faces and Youth Emphasis

Parsa Jafari (Zob Ahan) and Yaqoub Barajeh (Persepolis) have received their first senior national team call-ups, marking a significant milestone in their careers. Alongside Mohammad Askari, these young talents bring fresh energy to the squad, lowering the team’s average age and signaling a shift toward integrating emerging players.

Iran has already secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals. Qatar, will be fighting for a spot on the play-offs while North Korea will have no chance of making any such spot.