Abolfazl Jalali among Young Stars to Watch at 2022 World Cup
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – 24-year-old Esteghlal left-back Abolfazl Jalali managed to find a place for himself in the Iranian squad headed to Qatar 2022 and is pushing for a starting spot.
The FIFA World Cup has for long offered the perfect platform for some of the brightest stars from the next generation to showcase their talents to the global audience.
And the 2022 edition in Qatar will be no different with a number of young players from the six Asian representatives looking to step up and show the world what they’re capable of.
Ahead of the tournament kicking off on Sunday, the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on six prospects to keep an eye out for in the weeks ahead.
Jalali was first called up by Queiroz’s predecessor Dragan Skocic in 2021, making his debut in April 2022 in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar against Syria. He has since gained the trust of the Portuguese tactician who retained him in the squad and gave him the opportunity to start in some of the pre-FIFA World Cup friendlies.
With captain Ehsan Hajsafi turning 32 and Milad Mohammadi approaching 30, Jalali has a chance to stake a claim for a long-term position as Team Melli’s left-back.
Takefusa Kubo – Japan, Firas Al Buraikan - Saudi Arabia, Garang Kuol – Australia, Homam Al Amin – Qatar and Lee Kang-in - Korea Republic are also among the young stars to watch.
