Iran coach Branko Ivankovic has included three German-based players in his 23-man squad for the World Cup finals that start next month.

Hamburg's Mehdi Mahdavikia, Vahid Hashemian of Hannover and Bayern Munich's Ali Karimi have all been selected in the Iran squad that faces group games against Mexico, Angola and Portugal.

The full squad is:

Goalkeepers: Ebrahim Mirzapour (Foolad Khuzestan), Vahid Talebloo (Esteghlal Teheran), Hassan Roudbarian (Pas).

Defenders: Yahya Golmohammadi (Saba Battery), Mohammad Nosrati (Pas), Rahman Rezaei (AC Messina), Sattar Zare (Bargh Shiraz), Hossein Kaabi (Foolad Khuzestan), Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh (Saba Battery), Amir Hossein Sadeqi (Esteghlal Teheran).

Midfielders: Javad Nekounam (Sharjah/VAE), Anderanik Teymourian (Abomoslem Khorasan), Mehdi Mahdavikia (Hamburg SV), Fereydoon Zandi (Kaiserslautern), Ali Karimi (Bayern Munich), Mehrzad Madanchi (Persepolis), Javad Kazemian (Persepolis).

Forwards: Ali Daei (Saba Battery), Vahid Hashemian (Hannover 96), Reza Enayati (Esteghlal Teheran), Arash Borhani (Pas), Masoud Shojai (Saipa), Rasoul Khatibi (Sepahan Isfahan).