Iran is one of the most consistent Asian World Cup participants. Under manager Amir Ghalenoei, the team comfortably qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Group G, featuring Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, offers a manageable draw with a realistic chance of progressing.

Manager Amir Ghalenoei has named three goalkeepers for Team Melli: Alireza Beiranvand, Hossein Hosseini and Payam Niazmand. Iran will face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G. The trio comprises Iran’s most famous goalkeeper in history by far, his experienced backup from a dramatic 2022 World Cup night, and a young first-choice goalkeeper from Tehran who is making his debut in a major tournament squad.

Beiranvand is 33 years old and comes from Sarab-e Yas in the western Iranian province of Lorestan, where he grew up as the child of a nomadic Lak family. His father forbade him from playing football. Beiranvand set off anyway, making his way to Tehran with no money, sleeping on the streets at times and working as a shepherd on the side. At the age of 16, he joined Naft Tehran. What followed was one of the most meteoric rises in the history of Asian goalkeeping.

With Persepolis, he was named the Persian Gulf Pro League’s best goalkeeper four times in a row and Iranian Footballer of the Year twice. In 2017, he became the first Iranian ever to be nominated for an individual award at the FIFA Best Football Awards. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo, which earned him the status of a national hero in Iran. He holds two Guinness World Records to his name, including the longest goalkeeper throw-in in history at 61 metres. After spells at Royal Antwerp and Boavista, he returned to Persepolis before moving to Tractor in July 2024. He has made 19 league appearances for them this season. With 81 international caps and 22 clean sheets for Iran, he is Ghalenoei’s clear first choice.

Hosseini plays for Sepahan and has experienced a moment that no goalkeeper will ever forget. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he had to come on as a substitute in the eighth minute of the match against England after Beiranvand had to be taken off following a collision that left him with a broken nose. What followed was a 2–6 debacle. Hosseini bore no blame for the defeat, which was caused by Iran’s disorganised defence, but he was under pressure from a packed stadium and a situation for which no one is ever prepared. The fact that he has since become Ghalenoei’s reliable second-choice goalkeeper speaks volumes about his resilience. In the Persian Gulf Pro League, he has been one of the country’s most consistent goalkeepers for years.

Niazmand plays for Persepolis, the club where Beiranvand made his breakthrough. He is the youngest and least experienced international goalkeeper of the trio, and this call-up marks his first major tournament at senior level. In the Persian Gulf Pro League, he has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Tehran-based capital club favourites, but has very little international experience. Ghalenoei is counting on him as the third option and a long-term prospect for the Iranian goal.