Hossein Kanaani-Zadegan #13

Profile

A physically imposing defender, Kanaani-Zadegan is known for making headlines not only with his performances but also with his outspoken interviews. One such moment came when a leaked voice message caught him inviting an unidentified woman to share a romantic moment with him on the national team bus. The backlash led to his suspension for two matches. Like Shoja Khalilzadeh, he lost his starting spot after Carlos Queiroz returned ahead of the 2022 World Cup, featuring for only 45 minutes against England. After Quieroz’s departure, he commented under the coach’s farewell post on Instagram: “You betrayed Iran, not me and Shoja.” Later, when Queiroz took charge of Qatar, Kanaani-Zadegan scored twice in Iran’s 4-0 victory, taking what many saw as revenge. Reflecting on his only appearance at the 2022 World Cup, he once said: “If Rashford had played on my side, I would have killed him.”

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