Inter Milan star to miss FIFA Club World Cup due to ongoing Iran-Israel conflict; here's what happened

Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi has been left stranded in Iran after failing to get a flight out of the country amid its conflict with Israel, a club source told Reuters. It has now been confirmed by the Italian media that the 32-year-old will miss the Club World Cup.

 

Taremi played in Iran's 3-0 win over North Korea in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran last week.

 

For the unversed, Iranian airspace was closed after Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran on Friday. Israel attacked Iran early Friday targeting its nuclear, missile and military infrastructure. Iran later launched retaliatory strikes on Israel. Israel threatened even greater force after some Iranian missiles struck buildings in the heart of the country. Germany, France and Britain are ready to hold immediate talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme in an effort to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said earlier.

 

Inter Milan begin their Club World Cup campaign on Tuesday, taking on Mexico's Monterrey in Pasadena followed by two games in Seattle against Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan and Argentina's River Plate. Taremi made 43 appearances in all competitions for Inter in the 2024-25 season, scoring three goals.

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Meanwhile, new manager Cristian Chivu believes the current Inter Milan squad should be remembered for much more than its historically lopsided loss in the Champions League final.

 

"Of course, there is disillusionment (over) what happened at the end of the season," Chivu said.

 

"The expectations were high. But what I try to tell them is that the road, the thing that they have done, it's something special, it's something amazing. Of course, the objective is important to be reached, but we don't have to forget the journey, because the journey is very important."

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