Sardar Azmoun has been omitted from the Iran squad for two World Cup warm-ups with Iranian media reports indicating that the striker had been expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government.
Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 internationals, was the most notable absentee from a 35-man squad named by the head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, on Friday for friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica in the Turkish city of Antalya.
Azmoun, who plays in the United Arab Emirates for Shabab Al Ahli, upset the Iranian authorities this week by posting a picture on Instagram of a meeting with Dubai’s ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Iran has launched rocket and drone attacks on the UAE after airstrikes by the United States and Israel, which killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A report by the Fars news agency, which has links to the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited “an informed source within the national team” as saying Azmoun had been expelled from the team.
There was no response to a request for comment from the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI). Iran’s participation in the World Cup is in. doubt because of the conflict with the United States, which is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada in June and July.
There was a first call-up for the German-born striker Dennis Eckert, who plays Standard Liège and has Iranian ancestry through his father.
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