Iran vs Kyrgyzstan Prediction: Iran aiming for fourth World Cup Finals

Iran will welcome Kyrgyzstan at Folad Shahr Stadium in Game Week 3 of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Iran aiming for fourth World Cup Finals in a row in 2026. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Iran has established itself as a consistent presence in recent World Cups, participating in each of the last three finals since missing the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Their qualification journey for the 2026 World Cup began strongly in the second round, where they secured 14 points from six matches to top Group E, finishing ahead of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Hong Kong.

Under the leadership of Amir Ghalenoei, in his second term as head coach, Iran has proven to be a formidable opponent, achieving 18 wins, four draws, and only one defeat. The team is currently on a four-game unbeaten streak and is looking to extend this run in their upcoming match against Kyrgyzstan, following a commanding 5-1 win at the 2023 CAFA Nations Cup.

The Iranians will be optimistic about continuing their positive form in Thursday's match, having remained unbeaten in their last 22 World Cup qualifiers. This impressive record enhances their confidence as they aim for another favorable result.

Beiranvand; Hardani, Khalilzadeh, Hazbavi, Jalali; Jahanbakhsh, Ghorbani, Ghoddos, Ghayedi; Taremi, Azmoun

Kyrgyzstan enters the third stage of World Cup qualification after finishing second in their group, just one point ahead of Malaysia in the second round. Despite a challenging start with a 4-3 defeat to Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan bounced back with three consecutive wins, including two back-to-back victories against Chinese Taipei. 

They solidified their top-two position with successive 1-1 draws against Malaysia and Oman, keeping their World Cup hopes alive for a potential first-ever qualification. As they advance to the third stage, Kyrgyzstan is aiming for a top-two finish to secure automatic qualification, or at least a third or fourth position to enter an additional qualifying round.

Their immediate objective is Thursday’s away game, where they will seek their first-ever victory against Iran, a formidable opponent. This match represents a critical step in their quest to reach the World Cup.

Tokotaev; Zhyrgalbek uulu, Brauzman, Kozubaev, Kichin, Mishchenko; Akhmedov, Abdurakhmanov, Shukurov, Alykulov; Kojo

Shoja Khalilzadeh and Amin Hazbavi are expected to play in the central defence position, while Saleh Hardani and Abolfazl Jalali may be featured as the full-backs. Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi are likely to form the front two, with both players ranking high in Iran's all-time leading goalscorers list.

On the other side, the visitors could use a back five consisting of Kayrat Zhyrgalbek uulu, Khristiyan Brauzman, Tamirlan Kozubaev, Valery Kichin and Aleksandr Mishchenko. Joel Kojo is a key attacking threat for Kyrgyzstan, having scored seven goals in his international appearances.

Iran has a strong record at home in World Cup qualifying, winning 16 out of their last 20 matches. It is expected that they will take advantage of playing at home and secure a comfortable victory to start the third stage.