The 2018 World Cup is underway. CBS Sports will have you covered for each game, all the important news and more, as well as profiles of all of the teams.
Iran made Group B one of the most interesting of any group against all odds, coming just a goal short of knocking Portugal out of group play. While Spain drew with Morocco, Iran put a penalty kick in late to draw even with Portugal. It missed a goal in front of the net to barely miss the knockout stage, and it goes home after a devastating 1-1 draw.
Competition history
World Cup appearances: Five
Best finish: 14th in 1978
Last World Cup: 2014
Matches
Friday, June 15: Iran 1, Morocco 0
Wednesday, June 20: Spain 1, Iran 0
Monday, June 25: Iran 1, Portugal 1
Roster
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Seyed Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Rashid Mazaheri (Zob Ahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Maritimo).
Defenders: Ramin Rezaeian (Ostende), Voria Ghafouri (Esteghlal), Steven Beitashour (Los Angeles FC), Seyed Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Padideh), Morteza Pouraliganji (Alsaad), Mohammad Ansari (Persepolis), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Seyed Majid Hosseini (Esteghlal), Milad Mohammadi (Akhmat Grozny), Omid Nourafkan (Esteghlal), Saeid AGhaei (Sepahan), Roozbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal).
Midfielders: Saeid Ezatolahi (Amkar Perm), Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens), Ahmad Abdolahzadeh (Foolad), Saman Ghoddos (Ostersunds), Mahdi Torabi (Saipa), Ashkan Dejagah (Notthingham Forest), Omid Ebrahimi (Esteghlal), Ehsan Hajsafi (Olympiacos), Ali Karimi (Sepahan), Soroush Rafiei (Al-khor), Ali Gholizadeh (Saipa), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis).
Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar), Karim Ansarifard (Olympiacos), Mahdi Taremi (Al-Gharafa), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Heerenveen), Kaveh Rezaei (Charleroi).
Best Player
Striker Sardar Azmoun. Though he hasn't been super consistent for his clubs, he's been sharp for Iran since his debut in 2014. The 23-year-old has 23 goals in 31 appearances for the nation and has solid size, giving him the ability to do well in the air and you his physicality inside the box, especially with his back to the goal.
Player to watch
Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. The guy is 6-foot-5, so his length is a huge plus. But, as expected, it's a bit tough for him to get down to the ground quick enough, so shooting low and with force is the best way to beat him. His size will allow him to pull off some fine saves, and if he can perform well close to the ground, Iran will have a chance to maybe get a result or two.
For a complete calendar of World Cup matches in Spanish, visit our sister site, CNET.com.
