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Many travellers to the US have been alarmed by proposals that could require them to submit their social media history to officials. For Sardar Azmoun, it appears online activity will prevent him even from making it to the country for the World Cup. If Iran end up going, their 31-year-old striker will seemingly not join them after being left out of the preliminary squad.
This is despite 57 goals in 91 appearances for his country and a CV that few in Asia can match, featuring spells with Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and Zenit St Petersburg. Few would argue that Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, is so blessed with attacking resources that he should leave one of the continent’s biggest stars behind and fewer would believe Azmoun’s actions on social media are unconnected.
The player has a history of speaking out. As protests spread around Iran in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini and the authorities cracked down, he made clear his feelings on Instagram, where he has almost six million followers. “At worst I’ll be dismissed from the national team,” he wrote. “No problem. I’d sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women. This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women.”
Other players have voiced their opinions too. Mehdi Taremi, who has replaced Azmoun as the team’s biggest star, was once regarded as close to the regime but has become more critical. After scoring for Olympiakos in January, the former Inter and Porto striker explained his refusal to celebrate. “It actually has to do with the conditions in my country,” Taremi said. “There are problems between the people and the government. The people are always with us, and that’s why we are with them.”
Then the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February and the country found itself at war. Azmoun, who plays in the United Arab Emirates for Shabab Al-Ahli, posted a photo of himself meeting Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the UAE, a country regarded by Tehran as an antagonist. It did not go down well.
On Telegram, the Iran Revolutionary Guards described it as “cooperation with Iran’s enemies” and noted that the player had remained silent in the face of attacks from the “Americans and the Zionist regime”. Media reported that he had been kicked out of the team for March’s friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica.
The TV pundit Mohammed Misaghi tore into Azmoun. “It’s unfortunate that you don’t have enough sense to understand what kind of behaviour is appropriate at a given time,” Misaghi said. “We should not mince words with such people. They should be told that they are not worthy of wearing the national team jersey.”
Azmoun fired back. “I promised myself that every time I played for Iran, I would give everything I had to bring joy to the people who follow football with love – especially the children in the most remote towns and villages who celebrate our victories,” he wrote on social media. “No matter where I play football, my identity, my heart, and my pride are Iran.”
Some sympathy for Azmoun existed before his exclusion from the provisional World Cup squad and there are signs the official mood has softened, with one of Iran’s vice-presidents, Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, calling for the striker’s inclusion on Monday. “The need of the homeland is to preserve the threads of connection between its children,” he wrote on X. “Let us not overlook Sardar Azmoun’s action in displaying this bond, and if possible, bring him back to the national team.”
Ghalenoei may be reluctant to do that, however. The 62-year-old, seeking to take Iran past the group stage for the first time at the country’s seventh World Cup, said he had chosen his squad based on “technical reasons”. He may not want to be seen to perform a major U-turn.
Azmoun has not had the best of seasons. He struggled with injuries then form but some of the old sharpness had started to return. Azmoun is a lover of horses and reportedly has more than 50. Ghalenoei does not have as many thoroughbreds at his disposal and may regret Azmoun’s absence if, as scheduled, he takes on New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt next month.
There is still some uncertainty as to whether Team Melli, who are at a training camp in Turkey, have received visas for the US. Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, is adamant it will go smoothly but it is not really up to him. Last weekend, Iran’s football federation said Fifa had approved a switch of training camps from Tucson, Arizona, to the Mexican city of Tijuana, just the other side of the US border and close to their opening game on 15 June against New Zealand in Los Angeles. “Tehrangeles” is home to the biggest Iranian community in the US, made up mostly of the families – and their descendants – who fled the country at about the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and have no love for the regime in Tehran.
Azmoun may feel the same but plans to cheer on his national team. “Wishing you all the best, guys,” he wrote on social media. “It’s true that I’m not there with you, but you are my friends and there is no reason not to wish you success.”
