Iran to Qualify for 2026 World Cup: Ghalenoei
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Having emerged from the second round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers with an unbeaten record, Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei will be aiming to continue the impressive form when the next stage kicks off in September.
The second-highest ranked Asian side in the FIFA rankings at 20, Iran is seeking a seventh FIFA World Cup appearance.
Ghalenoei is optimistic about qualification despite being drawn in a tough Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26 on Thursday.
Despite Iran's impressive record, it will face a tough challenge with reigning AFC Asian Cup champion Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and DPR Korea having all qualified for the FIFA World Cup previously, while Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyzstan will be no pushovers.
Ghalenoei, however, firmly believes Iran -given its recent form- will seal a spot in what would be a fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup Finals.
The three-time AFC Asian Cup winner has lost just once in its last 18 international matches, winning 14 of those since the start of 2023, which underlines Ghalenoei’s belief.
“All of the teams are close (in level) and there are no easy teams,” said the Tehran native, who took charge of the team for a second spell in March 2023 and earned a contract extension until the end of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after leading Iran to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 semi-finals.
“Nothing in football can be taken for granted but if you look at our results from the past one year, (we believe that) we can qualify,” Ghalenoei added.