Iran Squad for World Cup: Ali Karimi Dropped, Azmoun Invited

Carlos Queiroz has called up 28 players for participating in Iran’s training camp in Austria, which will be held from May 12 to 31.

In the current list, free agent Karimi, who was expected to play for Iran at the World Cup, has not been invited and Rubin Kazan prodigy Sardar Azmoun has been called up to the team.

FIFA has given managers until June 2 to submit their 23-man squad.

Goalkeepers:
Daniel Davari – Eintracht Braunschweig, GER
Alireza Haghighi – Sporting Covilha, POR
Rahman Ahmadi – Sepahan Isfahan
Sousha Makani – Foolad Khuzestan

Defenders:
Khosro Heidari – Esteghlal
Hossein Mahini – Persepolis
Steven (Mehrdad) Beitashour – Vancouver Whitecaps, CAN
Pejman Montazeri – Umm Salal, QAT
Jalal Hosseini – Persepolis
Amir Hossein Sadeghi – Esteghlal
Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh – Zob Ahan
Ahmad Alenemeh – Naft
Hashem Beikzadeh – Esteghlal
Ehsan Hajsafi – Sepahan Isfahan
Mehrdad Pooladi – Persepolis

Midfielders:
Javad Nekounam – Kuwait SC
Andranik Teymourian – Esteghlal
Reza Haghighi – Persepolis
Ghasem Hadadifar – Zob Ahan Isfahan
Bakhtiar Rahmani – Foolad Khuzestan

Strikers:
Ashkan Dejagah – Fulham FC
Masoud Shojaei – UD Las Palmas
Alireza Jahanbakhsh – NEC Nijmegen
Mohammad Reza Khalatbari – Persepolis
Mehdi Sharifi – Sepahan Isfahan
Reza Ghoochannejhad – Charlton Atheltic
Karim Ansarifard – Tractor Sazi Tabriz
Sardar Azmoun – Rubin Kazan