Siamak Rahmani, Pejman Rahbar, and Mehdi Hojbari discussed Iran's performance at the 2026 World Cup on KhabarOnline. Rahmani called the situation a "dream sale" and claimed the national team had no real achievements.

Siamak Rahmani’s View

Rahmani said: "Dream sale; the national team before and after the World Cup was a dream-seller and had no achievements for Iranian football." He added that the team had a "mediocre display" in three matches and that "if we had been lucky we would have qualified." He also noted that "the best decision was that the national team was defensively sound in all three games," but that "the wrong decision was that he could have removed players like Amir Hossein Mahmoudi."

Pejman Rahbar’s View

Rahbar said: "We were good in two games, but overall we left the World Cup without achievements in three matches." He pointed to the bad luck and noted that "when Atletico predicted a 91% chance of qualification with three draws, all results turned out such that the national team did not qualify." Regarding Qal'ehnouri, Rahbar stated: "The national team coach must make tough decisions; Qal'ehnouri can leave, but who will come?" He also commented on the payout: "The federation should have added this money to his contract. Qal'ehnouri’s contract is 30 billion (≈1 million USD)."

Mehdi Hojbari’s View

Hojbari, citing the team’s history, said: "I have been involved in football since 1998, and in all those periods we went to the World Cup but did not qualify from the group." He referred to the 140 billion payout and said: "The federation made mistakes. Qal'ehnouri’s contract is 30 billion and did not increase over time." Regarding Qal'ehnouri, Hojbari said: "The best choice is Qal'ehnouri’s presence and youthfulness," and that "the worst decision was adding Shahriar Maghno and sticking to the idea of a long-range player in front of the goal."

Key Points

  • The national team left the 2026 World Cup without achievements in three matches.
  • Qal'ehnouri’s contract is 30 billion (≈1 million USD).
  • A 140 billion payout was given to the national team, mismanaged by the federation.
  • The three journalists offered differing views on the team’s performance, Qal'ehnouri’s role, and the payout.