Dutch Eredivisie top scorer Alireza Jahanbakhsh heads the bill as Team Melli, Asia's top ranked team, get set for playing in back-to-back FIFA World Cups for the first time in their history.

Steven Beitashour, who has not appeared for his country since Brazil 2014, earns the opportunity to make the final squad, while U-20 World Cup captain Omid Norafkan is also presented with the chance to prove himself, alongside uncapped Esteghlal teammate Majid Hosseini.

Sardar Azmoun’s inclusion also means the striker is set to face off against Spain in the Kazan Arena, where he plays his club football with Rubin Kazan. Iran will also face European champions Portugal and Morocco in Group B.

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Squad - Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Seyed Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Rashid Mazaheri (Zob Ahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Maritimo, Portugal);

Defenders: Ramin Rezaeian (Ostende, Belgium), Voria Ghafouri (Esteghlal), Steven Beitashour (Los Angeles FC, USA), Seyed Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Padideh), Morteza Pouraliganji (Alsaad, Qatar), Mohammad Ansari (Persepolis), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Seyed Majid Hosseini (Esteghlal), Milad Mohammadi (Akhmat Grozny, Russia), Omid Norafkan (Esteghlal), Saeid AGhaei (Sepahan), Roozbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal);

Midfielders: Saeid Ezatolahi (Amkar Perm, Russia), Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens, Greece), Ahmad Abdolahzadeh (Foolad), Saman Ghoddos (Ostersunds, Sweden), Mahdi Torabi (Saipa), Ashkan Dejagah (Notthingham Forest, England), Omid Ebrahimi (Esteghlal), Ehsan Hajsafi (Olympiacos, Greece), Ali Karimi (Sepahan), Soroush Rafiei (Al Khor, Qatar), Ali Gholizadeh (Saipa), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis);

Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Karim Ansarifard (Olympiacos, Greece), Mahdi Taremi (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Kaveh Rezaei (Charleroi, Belgium).

Korea Republic head coach Shin Tae-yong announced the roster of 28 players for the World Cup in Russia, where they will face Germany, Sweden and Mexico in Group F.

Korea Republic are scheduled to open their Group F campaign with Sweden in Nizhny Novgorod on June 18 and will face Mexico five days later in Rostov-on-Don. The Taeguk Warriors will take on defending champions Germany in Kazan on June 27.

Shin's preliminary squad has three goalkeepers, 12 defenders, nine midfielders and four forwards.

Shin said he decided to add five more players to his World Cup list because of injured players. Korea Republic lost defenders Kim Jin-su, Kim Min-jae and midfielder Yeom Ki-hun due to injuries.

"I first wanted to select 23 players and build up our teamwork in the upcoming weeks, but because of injured players, I had to change it," Shin said at a press conference at Seoul City Hall.

"I was told that Kim Min-jae and Yeom Ki-hun have to be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks. As for Kim Jin-su, he can jog at this moment, but I will have to decide whether he can stay with us after watching him in our training."

Among the 28, half of them play in the domestic K League, with four players selected from the defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

The list also includes a handful of Europe-based players like Son, Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City, Kwon Chang-hoon of Dijon FCO, Hwang Hee-chan of Red Bull Salzburg and Koo Ja-cheol of FC Augsburg.

There were also surprise selections, Lee Seung-woo of Hellas Verona, Moon Seon-min of Incheon United and Oh Ban-suk of Jeju United. All three have been named to the senior national team for the first time.

"These three players never played for us, but they can also go to the World Cup if they can show impressive performances with us (in the upcoming tuneup matches)," the coach said.

The 38-year-old is his country's most prolific international scorer with 50 goals, hitting the back of the net at three previous FIFA World Cups.

But he has only been a bit player for Millwall since returning to south London in January, and is currently banned for three matches.

Despite this Van Marwijk, who was appointed in January following the sudden departure of Ange Postecoglou, knows his experience and talisman-like status among Australian fans could make a difference, describing him as "a special case".

“We have more solutions, we are better prepared, and we have more experience, especially now that we have more players in Europe. The competition in (the) FIFA (World Cup) is very intense and difficult but we want to do better.

"As coaches, we always want more and we want to make to the second stage in Russia, that is the target,” said the former Portugal and Real Madrid coach in an exclusive interview with the-AFC.com.

“In order to that, it is important to put in place good preparations, especially for our local-based players,” added Queiroz, whose side will face Turkey, Greece and Lithuania in the final stages of preparations in May 2018.