2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Championship Qualifiers (November 2023)

With Ghalenoei established as the head coach, Iran began its World Cup qualifying campaign. With the World Cup expanded to 48 teams and Asia allotted eight directly qualifying slots and one inter-confederation play-off slot, qualification seemed like a mere formality. Having received a bye in the first round, Iran entered the second round in one of nine groups of four along with Hong Kong, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Games would be played home and away with the top two teams advancing to the next round in addition to the 2027 Asian Championship, hosted by Saudi Arabia. While new and younger players were tested sparingly, the bulk of the starting lineup consisted of the familiar faces of the prior year’s World Cup. Under Ghalenoei Iran had yet to lose a match albeit against not particularly strong opposition.

Iran began its campaign with a home game against Hong Kong. 

Upon arriving in Tehran and prior to the start of the match, Hong Kong complained about to quality of their practice pitch and slammed the Iranian FA for treating Hong Kong with no respect. Ultimately Hong Kong were beaten 4-0, although two late goals flattered a home team that was frustrated for long periods. Following a precise cross from Mohebbi, Azmoun swept low past Tse after only 12 minutes. The forward was at it again soon after, converting after being teed up by Taremi. The two goals were sandwiched by a couple of goals called back for offside and a foul while an aerial chance in the box was wasted when Taremi and Mohebbi both attempted a bicycle kick for the same ball and ended up clipping each other. 

Iran passed up a handful of second-half chances (including a Taremi offside goal and a crossbar by Azmoun), but Taremi scored with three minutes remaining, and, somewhat cruelly, Ramin Rezaeian added a fourth two minutes into stoppage time.

Iran then travelled to Tashkent to face their hosts Uzbekistan. 

Iran had claims to a penalty kick when the keeper brought Taremi down but the ref waived it off. Nevertheless Iran had a dream start when Rezaeian opened the scoring from close range for Iran after 14 minutes after the Uzbek keeper let the ball slip through his grasp. Taremi doubled Iran’s lead in the 38th minute after a squared pass from Ghoddoos who had stolen the ball in midfield following an errant pass. Uzbekistan clawed their way back in the second half and came from behind to draw the match. Uzbekistan pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute with Shomurodov orchestrating the move, weaving past the Iranian defense before sending a well-timed pass for O'runov to strike home. O'runov then turned provider in the 83rd minute when he set up Sergeevto to volley home as Uzbekistan grabbed a share of the points.

Following the Asian Championship Iran geared up for a home and away series against Turkmenistan. True to his word, Ghalenoei brought in a few younger players with Hazbavi (who was being tempted by Qatar for representation), Hardani and Fallah all receiving minutes on the backline while up front Azadi received his first cap and Sayyadmanesh was fielded after a long absence. 

The match at Azadi was one-sided with both Gholizadeh and Ezzatollahi forcing the keeper into acrobatic saves before Kananizadegan opened the floodgates with a headed goal in the 10th minute. 

It was followed swiftly by Azmoun’s precise strike from a Ghoddoos pass in the 12th minute. Taremi would rattle the crossbar from a freekick before halftime. Kananizadegan netted a rebound of his own shot in the 48th minute before Mohebbi added to the tally with a goal in the 56th minute. Substitute Noorafkan capped off the victory with a goal at the 91st-minute mark for an ultimate 5-0 win.

Five days later the teams faced each other in Asghabat. 

Hosseini would replace Beiranvand in goal (reportedly due to a wrist injury) while Ghorbani would make his national team debut. The game was much closer. While Ghaedi missed an open net from just outside of the six-yard box, the hosts nearly took the lead in the 37th minute when they collected the ball down the right flank and aimed for the near post with a low strike that Hosseini reacted quickly to change direction and make the save. The deadlock was finally broken deep into added time of the first half when Kanaanizadegan sent a diagonal pass for Taremi who climbed highest to nod it into the path of Ghaedi to rifle on the half volley past the Turkmen goalkeeper for the opener. 

Both teams had chances in the second half but deep into stoppage time a cross was flicked over Hosseini. The half clearance by the defense forced him into a full stretch toe poke which sent the Turkmen flying in the box although the ref waived it off. With the 1-0 victory Iran not only qualified for the 2027 Asian Championship, but also advanced to the next round of qualification regardless of the results of its two remaining games.

In the return leg against Hong Kong, some starters were rested while back ups such as Niazmand, Ghorbani, Yousefi and Jalali took the field. 

Just 5 minutes in Taremi saw his shot from inside the box take a deflection before bouncing off the crossbar. He would convert in the 12^th minute from the spot after Leon Jones was judged to have handled Mehdi Ghaedi’s cross. 

The lead only lasted 2 minutes as Ma Hei Wai guided the ball in from a tight angle following a Tan Chun Lok cross from the left. Iran regained the lead in the 34^th minute after a second penalty was awarded when Yapp Hung Fai brought down Taremi, who stepped up to score. 

Taremi completed his hat-trick in the 56^th minute, exchanging passes with Ghaedi before curling an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner. Hong Kong reduced the gap three minutes later as Anthony Pinto found the bottom corner following a scramble after Iran failed to clear a corner kick. Azmoun restored the two goal lead in the 65^th minute after collecting the ball with his back towards goal and expertly turning away from Jones before smashing past a stranded Yapp. Iran would win 4-2 although the defensive shortcomings were concerning.

In the final match of the round Iran hosted Uzbekistan at Azadi with a full strength lineup. 

Iran went close to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute when Ghoddoos found himself with time and space to unleash an effort from distance but Utkir Yusupov did well to gather the low shot. Oston Uronov then went on a solo run in the 33rd minute, beating two defenders before sending his shot past an outstretched Beiranvand only to miss the target by inches. Noorafkan would see two of his long range shots flash wide of the post before Taremi struck the post in the 68th minute. Alikulov forced a reflex save from Beiranvand eight minutes later and shortly afterwards an unsuccessful exit by the keeper gifted Uzbekistan with a wide open net but no one to tap in the ball. The two teams repeated their stalemate from the first leg with a scoreless tie, with Iran finishing as group winners thanks to a superior goal difference. 

Upon completion of this round of games, Iran was drawn with Qatar, Uzbekistan, UAE, North Korea and Kyrgyzstan in the third round of qualification with the top two teams qualifying directly to the World Cup and the next two teams advancing to a playoff round.

Due to ongoing renovations at Azadi Stadium, Iran opened the next round in a rare outing in Fooladshahr Stadium in Isfahan against Kyrgyzstan. 

In a heavily criticized performance against an opponent who on paper was ranked much lower than Iran, Taremi would score the only goal of the game 11 minutes before the end of the first half after the keeper fumbled Noorafkan’s long range shot. 

While Noorafkan would hit the post in the second half, however, Kyrgyzstan would also have their chances. A long range lob from their own half forced Beiranvand to rush back and tip the ball over the bar at the last moment while later Beiranvand would come up big and parry a shot from inside the box after a one on one breakaway.

Facing UAE away a few days later, Iran earned a hard-fought 1-0 win courtesy of a goal by Ghaedi whose goal late in the first half kept Iran on maximum points after two matches. 

With Ezzatollahi and Jahanbakhsh back in the lineup, chances were few and far in between in the opening 25 minutes. Iran had the ball in the net just after the half hour mark when Taremi’s scuffed shot fell kindly to Ghaedi to steer home but it was correctly ruled out for offside. In the second half Taremi would have two excellent chances from the edge of the six-yard box – a header and a shot – but would hit both of them wide. Iran had a late scare in the game when the UAE thought they had a late opportunity to level proceedings from a penalty kick after referee Kim Jong-Hyeok pointed to the spot for a handball by Hardani but upon VAR review it was overturned for Iran to chalk out another tight 1-0 win.

The following month Iran would travel to Uzbekistan to face its direct rival who also boasted a perfect record in this round. 

Chances were few and far in between in the first half but early in the second half saw Iran going down to 10 men following Hardani’s red card for a studs up challenge on Shomurodov. 

Within minutes the Uzbeks had two good opportunities although they shot them wide and high. In stoppage time the ref initially awarded a penalty to Iran after the ball seemed to have struck Ashurmatov’s hand but upon a VAR review, the decision was reversed and ultimately the sides shared the spoils.

Due to safety and political factors, Iran’s home game against Qatar was moved to Dubai. 

With revenge for the semifinal defeat in the Asian Championship on Iran’s mind, Iran displayed a dominant performance. Qatar would take a surprising lead although Iran would respond with a shot by Azmoun that bounced off of the crossbar. Shortly before halftime Azmoun’s header into the upper corner would tie things up although there would still be enough time before the halftime whistle for both teams to rattle each other’s crossbar. 

Early in the second half Azmoun took full advantage of the Qatari keeper tripping over his own defender while going for an ariel ball to put his shot into an open net. 

Azmoun would turn provider when he ran onto a ball and perfectly fed Mohebbi to tap into an empty net. 

While Jahanbakhsh and Moghanlou would both have goals called back for offside, Mohebbi would score the fourth and final goal off of a header in stoppage time for a 4-1 win.

In November Iran would play two away games. The first would be in Laos against North Korea. 

Iran would dominate the first half and take a 3-0 lead with all three assists coming from Taremi. Ghaedi opened the scoring in the 29th minute while Mohebbi was on target twice in 41st and 45th minutes. Six minutes into the second half Iran reduced to 10 men after Khalilzadeh received his marching orders for pulling down a Korean on a breakaway. Taremi’s name appeared on the scoresheet, albeit for North Korea as he managed to steer a cross into his own net in the 56^th minute. Just a few minutes later North Korea scored again after a goalmouth scramble. Taremi then won his side a slightly soft penalty but his spot-kick was saved after putting a weak effort down the middle. North Korea would rattle Beiranvand’s crossbar in the 75^th minute but Iran would hold on for a 3-2 victory.

Iran would travel to Kyrgyzstan next. 

Iran took the lead after only 12 minutes after Ezzatollahi’s header was saved by the keeper only for the rebound to fall kindly for Taremi to slam home. 

In the 33rd minute Azmoun released Hardani following a quick counterattack with the experienced defender coolly slotting home for a 2-0 lead. Changes at halftime paid quick dividends as Almazbekov’s cross shot in the 50th minute had Beiranvand tracking back to tip over and from the ensuing corner kick, the home side pulled a goal back through Kojo’s header. Kyrgyzstan drew level in the 64th minute when Abdurakhmanov was fouled in the box with Kojo stepping up to send his penalty past Beiranvand. In the 76th minute Iran retook the lead from a Mohammadi cross that was met with a thumping header by Azmoun to secure Iran’s fifth win. 

With the win Iran was assured of at the very least advancing to the fourth round of qualification, if not qualifying directly.

With no preparation games in between, Iran approached a two-game home stretch against the UAE and Uzbekistan in March. Iran started the game against UAE without Taremi who had been having suffering from a goal drought in the Serie A with Inter Milan. 

Just 4 minutes in, a chested ball by Azmoun found Mohebbi in the 6-yard box who hit his shot straight at the keeper. 

After just ten minutes, one of the stadium’s floodlights malfunctioned, forcing a long stoppage. Despite a 15-minute wait, the referee directed players to the locker rooms. Shortly after, the lights were restored, and play resumed. Late in the first half an errant back pass by Ghoddoos landed at the feet of a UAE player whose shot just went wide of the post as Beiranvand remained frozen. UAE would threaten once again before halftime with Beiranvand stuffing a one-on-one situation. Iran broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time when Ghoddoos’s clever chip found Azmoun, who headed the ball past the goalkeeper. 

Twice in the second half long range shots forced the UAE keeper to make a save before Mohebbi outran the UAE defense and coolly slotted Iran’s second goal. With the 2-0 win Iran needed just one more point for direct qualification.

With Taremi back in the lineup Iran faced Uzbekistan. 

While early on a Jahanbakhsh header would be saved off of the line, however, miscommunication between Mohammadi and Khalilzadeh gifted Uzbekistan with an opportunity that they graciously accepted to take the lead. Taremi would set up Ghaedi with a perfectly placed header forcing Uzbek goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov into a block before Azmoun stabbed wide after he was put through on goal. Iran equaled in the 52nd minute after Azmoun’s lob was volleyed home by Taremi. The lead would last only a minute as Uzbekistan a curling freekick from the left was completely missed by a line of Iran players and bounced straight into the net. In the 69th minute Azmoun met Taremi’s cross with a point-blank header that hit the keeper’s right leg before a scramble on the goal line was ultimately cleared. Beiranvand produced a fine save on a one-on-one breakaway before Ezzatollahi’s header was saved on the goal line. Finally in the 83^rd minute substitute Gholizadeh swung in a deep cross which Uzbekistan failed to deal with, allowing Taremi the chance to steer in from close range to salvage a 2-2 tie. 

The result took Iran to a fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup.

The team remained dormant until June when Iran traveled to Qatar to face their hosts. In spite of qualification achieved, there was very little experimentation. Iran fielded a lineup with an average age of 29 and the absence of Azmoun, Jahanbakhsh and Gholizadeh was merely as a result of injuries. 

In spite of already being qualified, Iran started the game with such urgency and recklessness that within the first 35 minutes, Iran received 4 yellow cards, 2 of them going to Mohammadi and resulting in his expulsion. 

Six minutes later, Pedro Miguel found the back of the net from a tight angle and an incomplete save by Beiranvand. 

Iran would display a disjointed game in which they rarely threatened Qatar’s goal and ultimately would end up losing 1-0. The loss, overall performance, and insistence upon using veterans in the game increased criticism of Ghalenoei, his tactics and team selections.

Iran finished off their campaign with a home game against North Korea. 

In spite of qualification assured, the only youth introduced in the game was 19-year old Razzaghinia, although he would be replaced by Moghanlou midway through the first half due to injury. A few older and less-played players also took part such as Hosseini in goal, and Hasheminejad and Mohammad Mehdi Mohebbi (not to be confused with regular Mohammad Mohebbi). In the first half, Mohebbi, after skillfully bypassing North Korea’s defense, found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Rather than taking the shot himself, he unselfishly squared the ball to Moghanlou, who had an open net in front of him. Moghanlou, with no pressure and the entire goal at his mercy, somehow managed to miss completely, sending his effort wide. 

Moghanlou’s miss would serve as an advertisement for the disjointed performance. It wasn’t until North Korea’s 66th minute red card that Iran would finally break though. Mohebbi was on target for Iran in the 73rd minute and Taremi made the scoreboard 2-0 four minutes later. Second half sub Hosseinzadeh scored the third goal in the injury time for an ultimate 3-0 win. In spite of the lopsided scoreline and finishing first in the group criticisms of Ghalenoei persisted.