Iran’s Roozbeh Cheshmi ruled out of World Cup opener against New Zealand with hamstring injury

Roozbeh Cheshmi, the 32-year-old captain of Esteghlal FC and a key defensive midfielder for Iran’s national football team, will not take the pitch for Iran’s opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against New Zealand. A left hamstring strain sustained during pre-tournament training in Antalya, Turkey has ended his World Cup hopes before the competition even begins.

The injury occurred during a training session between May 20 and 22, and subsequent MRI assessments confirmed the severity. Iran’s coaching staff and medical team monitored his recovery through early June, but the timeline simply did not cooperate.

A cruel pattern repeats itself

This marks the second time Cheshmi has been forced to watch a World Cup from the sidelines due to injury. He missed the 2018 tournament in Russia after suffering a separate muscle issue during the buildup to that competition.

Iran’s Group G opener against New Zealand is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The bigger picture for Iran at the 2026 World Cup

The injury also underscores a broader conversation about player workload and the physical demands placed on footballers who compete in domestic leagues, continental competitions, and international duty simultaneously. For Cheshmi personally, having previously overcome a significant ACL injury in addition to the muscle problem that kept him from the 2018 World Cup, this represents another serious setback in a career marked by physical resilience.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.