Sardar Azmoun posted a heartfelt message after being left out of Iran’s preliminary squad for the 2026 tournament. He said he has always played for the national team with pride, feeling both joy in wins and deeper upset in losses. He stated he loves football and the good people of Iran, describing their support as a source of energy. He addressed accusations of disloyalty and referenced misunderstandings that led to quick judgment. He also said that as a teenager he received a large offer to represent another country, but chose to be a son of Iran and play for his people. He wished the squad well at the tournament without him.
"I want to speak from the bottom of my heart about some things that many people may not know, or about certain misunderstandings that may have led some to judge me too quickly, the 31-year-old wrote. Dropped Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has posted a heartfelt message on social media proclaiming his love for his country and wishing the World Cup squad well at the tournament without him."
"I have always played for my national team with pride. When we won, I was proud of myself and my teammates. When we didn't, I was more upset than anyone else in the world, just like them. I love football, and I love the good and deserving people of my country, Iran. People whose kindness and unwavering support have always given me energy."
"Azmoun, who is part of Iran's Turkmen ethnic minority, said as a teenager he had received a very large financial offer to represent another country. My answer was this: I am a son of Iran, and I want to play for my people and make them happy,' he wrote. I promised myself that every time I played for Iran, I would give everything I had to bring joy to the people who follow football with love."
"State news agency IRNA said Azmoun was injured, but media reports in March said he had been expelled from the national team after posting a picture on social media of a meeting with Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Accusations of disloyalty in the Iranian media in March clearly rankled Azmoun, and he addressed them in Wednesday's post."
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Read at www.aljazeera.com
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