Team Melli – with the former Bundesliga player Vahid Hashemian as assistant coach – will play the US, England and Wales in Group B.
Azmoun is the vice-captain and third highest goalscorer in the history of the national team: Sardar Azmoun is a superstar in Iran. In addition, he is the big hope for this year's World Cup. An interesting but possibly politically sensitive group.
“We respect all players wherever they come from. There are no problems between us and our primary aim is to play football. We should leave politics to the politicians,” the 27-year-old said.
“We are all united by the ambition of at least going through to the next round and the dream of winning the World Cup,” Azmoun said in an interview with Bayer 04 Leverkusen website.
The fact his parents came to Iran from Turkmenistan does not change his allegiance – Iran is his home country. “There are a lot of Turkmen in the north-east of Iran. There's a great relationship with each other, we are of Turkmen extraction but proud to be Iranians.”
“Iranians love football and are very passionate. At every home game I see a lot of Iranian flags and am often approached in and around Leverkusen. I'm happy about that and everybody is always very friendly,” he said.