[80789] Iran's National Team for the 2026 World Cup: The Average Age Controversy and the Ousting of the Youth

[80789] Iran's National Team for the 2026 World Cup: The Average Age Controversy and the Ousting of the Youth

2026 World Cup: Iran's national team squad sparks public criticism

Ahead of the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup, the Iranian Football Federation has released the final squad for the national team, consisting of 26 players. According to a report by Varzesh 3, coach Amir Ghalenoei decided to cut five young players from the squad: Mohammad Khalifeh, Kasra Taheri, Amir-Hossein Mahmoudi, Hadi Habibi-Nejad, and Omid Noorafkan. This decision sparked significant outrage, as it was claimed that Ghalenoei did not fulfill his promise to promote the younger generation.

According to the Varzesh 3 website, the current Iranian team is "the oldest team in history" at the World Cup, with an average age of 30.4 years. The sports press in Iran notes that "despite the coach's promises four years ago, rejuvenating the squad has remained just a promise." At the same time, it was reported that players Roozbeh Cheshmi and Alireza Jahanbakhsh were added to the squad despite suffering from injuries.

In terms of statistics and economics, according to the Akharin Khabar website, France is ranked as the most expensive national team in the world in terms of market value, with a value estimated at 1.47 billion euros. The list is dominated mostly by European national teams, where out of the top ten, eight are from Europe and only Brazil and Argentina represent South America.

Meanwhile, a viral theory has been circulated on social media, which gained wide distribution on the Sport Bad News channel, presenting past predictions by a user from 2016. According to the prediction, Portugal is expected to win the 2026 World Cup, with Kylian Mbappé being crowned the tournament's best player.