Iran is one of the most consistent Asian World Cup participants. Under coach Amir Ghalenoei, the team comfortably qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Group G, featuring Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, offers a manageable draw for a potential advance to the next round.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei named three goalkeepers to Team Melli’s roster: Alireza Beiranvand, Hossein Hosseini, and Payam Niazmand. Iran will face New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in Group G. The trio includes Iran’s most famous goalkeeper in history by far, his experienced backup from a dramatic 2022 World Cup night, and a young starting goalkeeper from Tehran who is making his first appearance on a major tournament roster.

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 soccer. Beiranvand set out anyway, made his way to Tehran with no money, slept on the streets at times, and worked part-time as a shepherd. At age 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 Best Goalkeeper in the Persian Gulf Pro League 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 kick by Cristiano Ronaldo, which earned him the status of a national hero in Iran. He holds two Guinness World Records, including the longest goalkeeper throw-in in history at 61 meters. After stints with Royal Antwerp and Boavista, he returned to Persepolis before transferring to Tractor in July 2024. This season, he has appeared in 19 league matches for the club. With 81 international appearances and 22 clean sheets for Iran, he is Ghalenoei’s clear first choice.

Hosseini plays for Sepahan and carries with him a moment no goalkeeper will ever forget. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he had to come in as a substitute in the eighth minute of the match against England after Beiranvand had to be carried off the field following a collision that fractured his nose. What followed was a 2–6 debacle. Hosseini bore no blame for the loss, which stemmed from Iran’s porous defense, but he faced the pressure of a packed stadium and a situation for which no one is ever prepared. The fact that he has since become Ghalenoei’s reliable backup speaks to 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 in the trio, and this nomination marks his first major tournament at the senior level. In the Persian Gulf Pro League, he has established himself as the starting goalkeeper for the Tehran-based club, a fan favorite in the capital, but has very little international experience. Ghalenoei is counting on him as the third option and a long-term prospect for the Iranian goal.