March 27, 2025 | 01:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iranian national team coach Amir Ghalenoei praised Mehdi Taremi's impact on his team's success in advancing to the final round of the 2026 World Cup. Inter Milan striker Taremi scored two goals in a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan. The draw was enough for Iran to secure an automatic ticket to the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year.
Since joining Inter Milan on a free transfer from Porto last summer, Taremi has endured an inconsistent season due to injury. However, his two goals made all the difference for the national team in the match against Tehran. "A great player must help both technically and physically," said Ghalenoei, quoted from Reuters.
Ghalenoei knows that Taremi is not in his best condition despite playing for Inter Milan, a Serie A giant. "Taremi is one of them, and even though he plays for a great team and is not in good condition and could have missed the season, he played and was with the team and played for the people."
"He became the best player on the field and I am happy that, in most games, he is the best player on the field from the Iranian national team," he said.
Taremi's first goal at Azadi Stadium occurred in the 52nd minute. He unleashed a volley to equalize after Uzbekistan scored the opening goal by Hojimat Erkinov in the 16th minute. Abbosbek Fayzullaev restored Uzbekistan's lead a minute later, but Taremi scored from close range seven minutes before the end of the match.
Taremi has already scored 54 goals in 92 international matches with Iran. Earlier, the 32-year-old player was absent in Iran's 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates due to problems in his thigh.
Since moving to Italy, he has started only 14 games. His record has drastically decreased after being one of the most prolific goal scorers in Portugal for five seasons. He had an outstanding career with Rio Ave and Porto.
Ghalenoei also revealed a new target. He directed his gaze towards guiding Iran to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. Iran has never advanced from the group stage in six previous appearances. They have only won three out of 18 matches in the final round. "Qualification was not an easy task. Look at the capabilities of other teams and you will see that the players were able to achieve this qualification through difficult circumstances," he said.
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