Iran Announces Final 26-Man Squad for 2026 World Cup

The technical staff of the Iranian national football team has announced the final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Iran’s World Cup participation and preparations had faced major uncertainty following the armed conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, as well as ongoing visa and logistical complications.

After moving its planned base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, Team Melli has now confirmed the squad that head coach Amir Ghalenoei will take to the tournament.

The final roster includes a mix of experienced veterans and emerging talents, with senior figures such as Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi, Alireza Beiranvand, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saeid Ezatolahi, and Rouzbeh Cheshmi expected to provide leadership.

Iran will play all three of its Group G matches in the United States, opening against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium in the same city on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Goalkeepers named in the squad are Alireza Beiranvand of Tractor, Hossein Hosseini of Sepahan, and Payam Niazmand of Persepolis.

The defensive group includes Danial Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, and Ramin Rezaeian.

In midfield, Iran has selected Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mehdi Ghaedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, and Aria Yousefi.

The forward line features Mehdi Taremi of Olympiacos, Ali Alipour, Shahriyar Moghanlou, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, and Dennis Dargahi(Eckert) of Standard Liege.

According to the coaching staff, Mohammad Khalifeh and Omid Noorafkan have been placed on the official standby list. They will travel with the team and can be added to the active roster up to 24 hours before Iran’s opening match if an injury replacement is needed.

Kasra Taheri, Amirhossein Mahmoudi, and Hadi Habibinejad will also accompany the delegation to Mexico as part of a special initiative proposed by the head coach, allowing them to maintain their conditioning and morale ahead of future campaigns, including the AFC Asian Cup.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also said that visas for members of the national team are expected to be issued within the next one to two days. He said Iranian diplomats in Türkiye have been coordinating with the Mexican Embassy in Ankara to complete the process.

According to Araghchi, the Mexican Embassy has agreed to waive fingerprinting requirements for the team members, with a designated representative expected to collect the visas on behalf of the delegation once the remaining administrative steps are completed.