Inside Iran’s soccer team: A complete roster and more about 2026 World Cup squad

On Monday night, Iran will begin its World Cup 2026 campaign against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. 

The Middle Eastern squad will be managed by Amir Ghalenoei and is playing in its fourth straight World Cup. Team Melli, which translates to "National Team" in Persian, has made seven World Cups in their team history, but it has yet to qualify for the knockout stages.

The Iranian national team has garnered a lot of attention due to world conflicts and commentary about the country. However, it is time to start wondering about what their 2026 World Cup roster looks like.

Here's the rundown on the Iranian squad, who are in Group G at this summer's World Cup.

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Iran 2026 World Cup roster

Iran has rolled out a 26-man roster ahead of this year's World Cup in North America. Their squad has players who play in the Persian Gulf League, the UAE Pro League, the Greek Super League, and the Belgian Challenger Pro League.

Here is the full roster that their manager shared with the soccer world.

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Iran players to watch in 2026 World Cup

Iran's main focal point of their attack will come through veteran Mehdi Taremi. The squad's lone player from the Greek top flight has the seventh-most caps in Iranian team history, and has the most among active players on the 2026 squad. He has 60 goals through those 104 caps, which is second-most in Iranian national team history.

Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, the team's 25-year-old, will have the freshest legs in their front line. The youngest forward on the team only has 18 caps thus far, but his national team career could take a turn for the better at this summer's World Cup. He has five goals across his 18 appearances.

Mohammad Mohebbi has also shown that he can provide ample goalscoring opportunities when called upon. Through 35 caps for Team Melli, the 6-foot-2 midfielder has given 13 goals to his country. The mark is good enough to average a goal across three games, so it is likely Mohebbi will appear on the scoresheet at least once through the group stages.

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Who is coaching Team Iran in the 2026 World Cup?

Amir Ghalenoei is the manager for Iran's 2026 World Cup squad. The former Iranian national team player has put forth a nice record for his country. Since 2023, according to FotMob, he boasts a whopping 31W-5D-5L record and has a 76% win percentage.

Ghalenoei has bounced around many clubs in the Middle East. His managerial career began in 1997, when he was appointed as the Keshavarz Football Club manager, a team owned by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture. Starting in the 2008-09 season, he managed eight different teams in the Persian Gulf Pro League. 

This is Ghalenoei's second time managing the Iranian national team, after also becoming manager in 2006. Despite making the quarterfinals of the 2007 Asian Cup, many around the Iranian soccer world were displeased that he substituted his goalie just before the penalty shootout. The team went on to lose to South Korea in that penalty shootout.

Iran World Cup history

Throughout their team history, Iran has qualified for its seventh World Cup in 2026. Their first appearance came at the 1978 edition in Argentina. Despite seven appearances in the tournament, Iran has yet to qualify for the knockout stages.

Here is the complete history of how Iran has fared at the World Cup. 

Iran World Cup 2026 schedule

Iran will play in Group G at this year's World Cup. Their group includes Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. Here is their schedule of group stage opponents at the 2026 tournament: