Pattaya: Islamic Republic of Iran stayed on course to retain their title after defeating Saudi Arabia 6-0 in their AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 semi-final on Saturday.

Naderi Hossein’s side, seeking a  record-extending fourth title, will meet either Japan or Oman in the final and have also booked their ticket to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025.

With a place in the final at stake, both teams adopted a cautious approach in the opening minutes with Saudi Arabia focusing on being organised defensively to close the space down on Iran.

There were half-chances with Iran’s Seyed Nazem having a shot blocked by Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Alajmi while at the other end, custodian Seyedmahdi Mirjalili stopped an effort from Khalid Mudhaya.

The deadlock was broken in the seventh minute when Iran substitute keeper Seyemohammad Dastan showed his accuracy from distance, rifling a volley into the top corner beyond Alajmi’s outstretched hands.

Sensing their moment, Iran doubled their advantage two minutes later as they opened up Saudi Arabia’s defence for the first time in the game, allowing Nazem the chance to smash an overhead strike home.

Saudi Arabia showed more attacking intent in the second period with an Eslam Hussei effort that bounced just over the bar while Majed Shamhani forced Mirjalili into a low save to his left, but their inability to put away their chances were punished by Iran late in the period.

Movahed Mohammadpour found Ali Mishekari in the space in the 22nd minute and the Iranian forward accepted the invitation to power in an overhead strike to score his ninth goal of the campaign.

Iran kept up their intensity in the third period as they added further goals through Mohammad Masoumizadeh (27th), Dastan (31st) and Mirshekari (36th) to seal their passage to the final.

Despite the defeat, Saudi Arabia will keep their eye on the ball for the third place playoff on Sunday which offers a spot in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to the winners.

US Soccer President Dismisses Rumors of Visa Issues for Iran’s Team Melli at FIFA World Cup 2026

Since Team Melli’s early qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026, speculation has been swirling about potential political interference in the team’s participation. A particularly controversial rumor suggests that US President Donald Trump might refuse to grant entry visas to the Iranian squad unless Iran agrees to US-imposed conditions in nuclear negotiations.

While such a move would not be unprecedented given past diplomatic tensions between the two nations, the US Soccer Federation appears determined to separate politics from the game. Cindy Parlow Cone, the President of US Soccer, has taken a firm stance against these rumors. In a message to Mehdi Taj, the President of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), she congratulated Team Melli on their qualification and extended a warm welcome to the Iranian team, emphasizing that the US is committed to hosting an inclusive and fair tournament.

Iran’s relationship with the FIFA World Cup has had its share of political hurdles. The last time the tournament was held in the United States, in 1994, Iran was absent after failing to qualify. However, when the two nations faced off in the 1998 World Cup in France, the match became one of the most politically charged games in World Cup history. Despite the tension, both teams exchanged flowers and took a joint team photo in a rare moment of sports diplomacy.

With World Cup 2026 set to take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico, Iran’s qualification marks an opportunity for football to transcend politics once again. While international relations remain complex, the words of US Soccer’s leadership suggest that Team Melli will be welcomed on sporting merit rather than diplomatic terms. For now, Iranian fans can focus on the tournament ahead, hoping their team will make history on North American soil.

The Russian and Iranian teams previously played against each other on three occasions

TEHRAN, March 26. /TASS/. Iran’s governing body of football FFIRI (Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran) has announced that the national teams of Iran and Russia will play a friendly football match later this year, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday citing FFIRI President Mehdi Taj.

“We will play a friendly match against the Russian team on October 6 and will play against Chile on October 14,” Taj said.

The Russian and Iranian teams previously played against each other on three occasions: in 2011, when Iran defeated Russia 1-0, and in 2017 and 2023, which both ended in a 1-1 draw.

The USSR also played three matches against Iran, winning all of them: in the quarterfinals of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada (2-1), in a 1976 friendly match (1-0) and in the 1985 Nehru Cup (2-0).

The Iranian national football team has already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The matches will be played in 16 cities across the North American continent. This will be the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams compared to the previous 32-team format.

Russia’s football ban

The world’s governing football body, FIFA, announced on February 28, 2022, that the Russian national team and all professional clubs representing the country were barred from participating in FIFA tournaments.

In turn, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made a similar decision regarding the Russian national football team’s participation in UEFA tournaments.

Both FIFA and UEFA cited Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine as grounds for their respective bans on Russian teams’ participation in competitions.

Friday, 21 March 2025: Pattaya.

Iran kicked off their AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 campaign with an emphatic 12-2 victory over Indonesia in Group C at the Jomtien Beach Arena on Friday.

The win gives the three-time champions an early boost in their title defence and they next take on Afghanistan on Sunday, while Indonesia will aim to bounce back against the United Arab Emirates.

A miscommunication between Ketut Sudiartawan and goalkeeper Pratama proved costly for Indonesia, as his attempted pass ended up in their own net, giving Iran an early lead.

The Central Asian side doubled their advantage when Mahdi Shirmohammadi found the net with a right-footed shot from close range in the sixth minute of the first period. 

Iran had a chance to extend their lead further, but Mohammadali Nazarzadeh’s free-kick from the right flank ricocheted off the post just as the timer signalled the end of the first period.

Naderi Hossein’s side continued to dominate the game after the break, with Mohammad Masoumi sending the ball past Indonesia’s custodian following a goalmouth scramble.

There was no stopping Iran as goalkeeper Seyedmahdi Mirjalili moved forward to the centre of the pitch before slotting the ball past a helpless Pratama for the defending champions’ fourth of the game.

Iran’s Syed Ali Nazem missed a penalty in the 15th minute to give the Southeast Asians some respite but Nazarzadeh then made up for his earlier squandered effort by scoring from the spot.

Indonesia pulled one back through Made Adhi Kurniawan’s penalty shortly after but with just 12 seconds remaining of the second period, defender Movahed Mohammadpour calmly slotted home Iran’s fifth goal.

The 2023 champions wasted no time in the third period, as striker Mahdi Shirmohammadi made it 6-1 and as the  game neared its end, Mokhtari scored twice, Nazarzadeh added his second while Seyed and Ali Mirshekari netted one each. 

Indonesia pulled one back through Angga Pratama but it was a totally dominant performance from Iran. 

A sudden power failure on the northeast side of Azadi Stadium caused the Iran-UAE World Cup qualifier to be temporarily halted, presenting an embarrassing scene for Iranian football on the international stage.

According to a Mehr reporter, the match between the national teams of Iran and the UAE kicked off at 19:30 on Thursday, March 20, 1403 (Persian calendar) at Azadi Stadium. However, the game was not without its controversies and notable moments:

• Mixed Reception for Beiranvand: When the Iranian players entered the stadium, most received warm cheers from the crowd. However, goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand—who transferred from Persepolis to Tractor at the start of the Iranian Premier League season—was met with hostile chants from sections of the spectators. The keeper has been suffering verbal abuse from the beginning of the season. This unfortunate condition was not helped by Beiranvand’s own rhetoric’s.
• Paulo Bento’s Active Presence: UAE head coach Paulo Bento displayed great enthusiasm from the sidelines, actively leading and encouraging his players from the very beginning of the match.
• Stadium Lights Malfunction: In the 10th minute, the projectors on the northeast side of the stadium suddenly turned off, forcing the match to be paused.
• Extended Break and Players Sent to Locker Rooms: After an initial 15-minute stoppage, the referee instructed both teams to return to their locker rooms while officials worked to resolve the lighting issue. The game eventually resumed after an 18-minute delay.
• Players’ Reactions: While waiting for the match to restart, players from both teams attempted to stay warm by keeping their legs active on the field. Meanwhile, the UAE goalkeeper engaged in a discussion with the referee, urging him to restart the game as soon as possible, but his request was met with resistance.

This unexpected interruption during a crucial World Cup qualifier raises serious concerns about Azadi Stadium’s infrastructure, casting a shadow over Iranian football’s global image.

This failure occurred after a long period of maintenance conducted on the old and frailing stadium built in 1973 for the Asian Games 1974. It once again exposed the sports authorities failure and management of Iran’s football infrastructure which has fallen way behind the neighboring countries. Such failures are a source of embarrassment for all concerned. Iran has never staged any major sports events, particularly football, since the revolution! At this rate, it is doubtful that this generation will ever witness such an event.