Asked whether Iran should have been among the teams playing in the 2010 World Cup Bagheri replied, “Not at all. Teams who want to be in World Cup must earn that right and to be honest Iran was never missed from that that tournament.”
Bagheri is a World Cup lover himself but dodged the question of who would win the title.
“I am not a fan of any specific team,” the former Iran football captain said.
Bagheri, 37, scored 50 goals in 86 games for Iran football team and played in the 1998 World Cup.