Sardar Azmoun’s World Cup absence for political reasons divides opinion in Iran

M any travellers to the US have been alarmed by proposals that could require them to submit their social media history to officials. For Sardar Azmoun, it appears online activity will prevent him even from making it to the country for the World Cup . If Iran end up going, their 31-year-old striker will seemingly not join them after being left out of the preliminary squad. This is despite 57 goals in 91 appearances for his country and a CV that few in Asia can match, featuring spells with Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and Zenit St Petersburg. Few would argue that Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, is so blessed with attacking resources that he should leave one of the continent’s biggest stars behind and fewer would believe Azmoun’s actions on social media are unconnected. The player has a history of speaking out. As protests spread around Iran in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini and the authorities cracked down, he made clear his feelings on Instagram, where he has almost six million followers. “At worst I’ll be dismissed from the national team,” he wrote. “No problem. I’d sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women. This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women.” Other players have voiced their opinions too. Mehdi Taremi, who has replaced Azmoun as the team’s biggest star, was once regarded as close to the regime but has become more critical. …