Iran's vice president has urged the national football team to reinstate star striker Sardar Azmoun ahead of the 2026 World Cup, after he was left out of the preliminary squad. The team is preparing for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, a country with which Iran has long-standing political tensions.

Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh called for unity, writing on the social media platform X that the country should preserve connections among its people and not overlook Azmoun's past demonstrations of loyalty. His remarks followed Azmoun's recent statement that he had once rejected a lucrative offer to represent another country and described himself as 'a son of Iran.'

Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals for the national side and previously played for leading European clubs, has faced criticism in Iranian state media. He was accused of disloyalty after being photographed with the ruler of Dubai, where he now lives and plays, and has previously voiced support for anti-government protesters. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei said leaving players out of the squad was a difficult decision based solely on technical considerations.