Reports: Iran soccer star Sardar Azmoun threatened with asset seizure by state

Iran’s judiciary has threatened to seize the property of national soccer star Sardar Azmoun, two semiofficial news agencies said Friday.

The star is on a list of 16 individuals seen as government critics and whose assets judicial authorities in the northern province of Golestan plan to confiscate, according to the Fars news agency.

The 31-year-old Azmoun played for Iran at the past two World Cups and his 57 career goals for Team Melli, in 91 games, is second most on its all-time list.

Azmoun failed to be picked this month for warmup games ahead of the World Cup, and he currently seems unlikely to be taken to the tournament where Iran is scheduled to play in the United States.

He reportedly was dropped from the squad because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the current war with the United States and Israel. Azmoun has previously posted support for protests against the Iranian government.

The announcement Friday followed threats from Iran’s hard-liner judicial chief that authorities planned to seize the assets of celebrities viewed as critical of the government.

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Azmoun posted a photo on his Instagram account this month showing him with political leaders of the United Arab Emirates. It was later deleted.

The account, which has six million followers, still has a pinned post from January 2025 of Azmoun meeting the ruler of Dubai, which says it was “an honor to meet one of the most successful minds in the world, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.”

Azmoun plays in Dubai for the Shabab Al-Ahli club. His former clubs in Europe include Roma, Bayer Leverkusen and Zenit St. Petersburg.

Without Azmoun, Iran lost 2-1 to Nigeria on Friday in a game played without fans in the Turkish coastal city Antalya. The game was moved from Amman, Jordan, because of the security risk.

The Iran team has qualified for its fourth men’s World Cup in a row which the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. Its scheduled group-stage games are against New Zealand and Belgium in Inglewood, California, then against Egypt in Seattle.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup