Sardar Azmoun, the ‘Iranian Messi’ who is finally living up to the hype

As a true hotbed of football in Asia, Iran is a nation with a passion for the game like few others. Therefore, it is a surprise that a nation with such an incredible passion for the game does not produce more players at the highest level. While the likes of Ali Daei have done well, others like Ali Karimi have also enjoyed strong careers in European football. However, modern Iranians have all grown up with one player in their sights: Sardar Azmoun.

Azmoun has been compared with many of the greatest Brazilian football players of all time, but is best known as the ‘Iranian Messi’. He is now 26 years of age, but is beginning to really show the kind of faith that was placed in him at a young age. Despite being 6ft 1, the forward is known for his excellent close control and fine dribbling technique. However, one thing to note about Azmoun is that he has become well-regarded for his composure both in setting teammates up and in finishing tough chances.

As a youngster, Azmoun had a reputation for scoring great goals but not scoring enough goals. Even early in his career in Russia, with Rubin Kazan, he scored just five league goals for Rubin. A loan to FC Rostov soon brought out a more prolific streak, before returning to Kazan for a two-year spell. This led to Russian powerhouse Zenit St. Petersburg bringing the player in on a 3-and-a-half year deal in 2019.

As the player has dominated records for the club and been the Player of the Year in the 2020-21 season, Azmoun is set to become a free agent in 2022. Links to AS Roma, with coach Jose Mourinho a long-term fan, could see Azmoun become the highest rated Iranian footballer of his generation.

Throw in a whopping 37 goals for Iran in just 58 caps, and it is fair to say that Azmoun has started to live up to the incredible hype of his younger days.

What makes Azmoun so special?

For one, he is one of the best players in the Russian game when it comes to keeping the ball. He rarely gives it away needlessly, often losing the ball when trying a layoff for a teammate instead of an overly ambitious pass or shot. The forward has become regarded for being great with both feet and a strong header of the ball, making him very useful from both open play and set plays.

Though 6ft plus, Azmoun is relatively quick and tends to use his natural aggression and pace to harry defenders, run in behind, and to get into scoring chances. He is a natural athlete with excellent prowess in the box, and has become regarded in Russia as one of the most reliable finishers the league has seen in many years.

An all-rounder with no significant weakness to his game, the Iranian has become a far more rounded player since arriving St. Petersburg and looks set to stick around for a long time to come as a genuinely impressive international standard forward. Expect Azmoun to continue to improve for both club and country as he takes the inevitable next step in 2022.

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