Player nicknamed Iranian Messi retires at 23 over WC insults
Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun, who is nicknamed 'Iranian Messi', has retired from international football aged 23, saying insults aimed at him following Iran's 2018 FIFA World Cup exit ruined his mother's health. Azmoun said his mother had overcome a serious illness but due to the "undeserved insults" that he and his teammates received, her illness became more severe. 