Iran suffer new World Cup blow as statement confirms star won't be at tournament

Iran will have to alter their plans for the World Cup after winger Ali Gholizadeh was ruled out with a serious knee injury. Gholizadeh has won 44 caps for Iran but won't be present at the tournament this summer after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Polish side Lech Poznan. "In the coming days, Gholizadeh will have surgery followed by several months of rehabilitation," Lech said in a statement. It is a cruel blow for the 30-year-old, who had just been named player of the month for Poland's top flight. He sustained the injury during Lech's 1-0 win over Motor Lublin on Saturday and could take the rest of 2026 to recover. Gholizadeh played in all three of Iran's games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was in line to feature this summer. The winger was also one of the Iranian players who was continuing to play, with domestic football in Iran suspended since the war started in late February. Iran's players have reportedly been training together in Tehran ahead of a training camp in Turkey before they fly to the United States next month. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page Iran are in Group G along with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. There are just 42 days until their first match against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 16, yet much still needs to be ironed out, with huge difficulties caused by the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel and the United States. All three of Iran's group-stage fixtures are on the west coast of the United States and they will be based at a training camp in Tucson, Arizona. They have been given the green light to take part by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and US president Donald Trump , although issues remain. Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was turned away the Canadian border last week while trying to attend FIFA Congress in Vancouver. That was due to his affiliation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is considered to be a terrorist organisation by Canada. Iran will meet with FIFA at their headquarters in Switzerland later this month to discuss the practicalities around competing at the World Cup, which takes place across the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. A ceasefire is in place in the Middle East, but tensions remain high over the Straight of Hormuz. Trump has previously said it would not be "appropriate" for the Iranians to compete "for their own life and safety ", but changed his tune when asked about the issue on Thursday. “You know what, let them play," he said after being informed that Infantino had once again reiterated his support for Iran. "Gianni is fantastic, he’s a friend of mine, he talked about it, I said, ‘you do whatever you want’. You can have them, you don’t have to have them." Speaking at the FIFA Congress, Infantino said: "Of course, Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and of course Iran will play in the United States of America. The reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.