Yazdani, 86 kg, Iran’s national team captain and Olympic and World Champion, is currently recovering from shoulder surgery.
Alireza Dabir, head of Iran’s Wrestling Federation, confirmed that the 30-year-old will not risk competing in Zagreb to avoid re-injury.
UWW highlighted Yazdani’s legacy in a social media post, noting this marks his first absence from the World Championships since 2015.
The “Persian Lion” has won three gold, three silver, and one bronze medal at past World Championships, along with one Olympic gold (2016) and two silvers (2020, 2024).
“Yazdani, who underwent his second shoulder surgery in the last 12 months following his heroic silver medal performance at the Paris Olympics, confirmed that he recently traveled to France for a second opinion on his shoulder,” UWW pointed out.
Yazdani was quoted as saying, “My doctor is very satisfied with my progress, but I don’t want to take the risk of re-injury, so I’ll be back in 2026.”
Yazdani also signed off on his plans to move up in weight upon his return—floating the possibility of a move to 92kg or even 97kg, UWW reported.
