Iran football team named for N. Korea and Kyrgyzstan matches
TEHRAN – Amir Ghalenoei has invited 28 players to Iran national team for two matches against North Korea and Kyrgyzstan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Team Melli are scheduled to play North Korea on Nov. 14 in Laos and will face Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek five days later.
Iran and Uzbekistan lead Group A with 10 points, while Kyrgyzstan and North Korea sit fifth and sixth with two and three points, respectively.
Squad
Goalkeepers:
Alireza Beiranvand (Tractor), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan), Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Mohammadreza Akhbari (Gol Gohar)
Defenders:
Ali Nemati (Foolad), Shoja Khalilzadeh (Tractor), Mohammadamin Hazbavi (Sepahan), Mohammadmehdi Zare (Gol Gohar), Saleh Hardani (Sepahan), Aria Yousefi (Sepahan), Milad Mohammadi (Persepolis), Omid Noorafkan (Malavan), Mohammadhossein Knaanizadegan (Persepolis)
Midfielders:
Saeid Ezatollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Mohammad Karimi (Sepahan), Mohammad Ghorbani (Orenburg), Saman Ghoddos (Al Ittihad Kalba), Mohammadjavad Hosseinnejad (Dinamo Makhachkala), Mohammad Mohebbi (Rostov), Mehdi Ghaedi (Al Ittihad Kalba), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Heerenveen), Ali Gholizadeh (Lech Poznan), Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (Tractor), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal)
Strikers:
Mehdi Taremi (Inter Milan), Sardar Azmoun (Shabab Al Ahli), Shahriar Moghanlou (Al Ittihad Kalba), Saeid Saharkhizan (Orenburg)