Iran World Cup 2022 squad: Best players to watch out for
By Euan Burns
Iran are the more unknown quantity in Group B for England and Wales to contend with as the talent pool of players in the United States continues to grow.
Some fans watching the 2022 World Cup will assume it should be an easy win for England in the opening fixture, while others will be quietly concerned about underestimating an Iranian side who finished top of their qualification group alongside South Korea - some 13 points ahead of third placed United Arab Emirates.
They are also coached by the evergreen Carlos Quieroz, formerly of Manchester United and Real Madrid fame, despite being led to the tournament by Dragan Skocic. A change of leadership in Iran's football federation led to Quieroz's return, and he has previous experience to draw upon after taking charge in the 2014 and 2018 editions of the World Cup.
Here, 90min spins through five players England, Wales and United States will want to keep a special eye on in Qatar.
- Iran manager at the 2022 World Cup: Who is Carlos Quieroz?
- How much are tickets for the World Cup in Qatar?
Ehsan Hajsafi
At 32 years old, Ehsan Hajsafi is one of the most experienced players in Iran's squad having made just over 120 appearances for Team Melli.
Part of his appeal for Queiroz is that he is incredibly versatile. Hajsafi can play at left-back and in the midfield, and has demonstrated leadership qualities for both club and country..
He currently plies his trade with AEK Athens in Greece having also played for a number of Persian Gulf Pro League sides and Olympiacos.
Omid Noorafkan
Omid Noorafkan is one of the younger players in the Iran squad at 24 years old and is set to head to his first World Cup.
He plays for Sepahan in Iran and his influence in the squad has been growing. Not only that, he is another versatile operator who can play at full-back, in central defence and also in midfield - valuable traits if Quieroz decides to change formation mid-game.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Alireza Jahanbakhsh is one of Iran's more high profile players, with British audiences no doubt familiar with his 50 appearance stint at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Jahanbakhsh is naturally a right winger and possesses tremendous technical ability - something he once evidenced in the Premier League with a stunning overhead kick against Chelsea.
Now playing for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, he has racked up 64 national team appearances and has scored 13 goals.
Sardar Azmoun
One of the players that Iran will be relying on the most is Sardar Azmoun, a 27-year-old striker who has played most of his career in Russia.
Azmoun scored an incredible 52 goals in 79 appearances for Zenit Saint Petersburg but has since joined Bayer Leverkusen. He became the all-time highest-scoring Iranian in the Champions League whilst in Russia, though he is battling to be fit for the World Cup as he overcomes injury.
Mehdi Taremi
Mehdi Taremi is the other crucial part of Iran's attack, flanking Azmoun alongside Jahanbakhsh rather than playing in the central role he operates in for Porto.
Taremi has been in great form ever since he joined the Portuguese giants in 2020 and he adds to the list of Iranian players to score overhead kicks against Chelsea.
He has 60 national team appearances and almost 30 goals, so England, Wales and the United States can not afford to underestimate him in Qatar.