Ali Karimi facts for kids

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Ali Karimi

Ali Karimi 2015
Personal information
Full name	Mohammad Ali Karimi
Date of birth	(1978-11-08) 8 November 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Karaj, Iran
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder, forward
Youth career
1990–1991	Naft Tehran
1991–1994	Saipa
1994–1996	Fath Tehran
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1998	Fath Tehran
1998–2001	Persepolis	42	(11)
2001–2005	Al-Ahli	69	(45)
2005–2007	Bayern Munich	33	(3)
2007–2008	Qatar SC	26	(5)
2008–2009	Persepolis	21	(5)
2009–2011	Steel Azin	40	(14)
2011	Schalke 04	1	(0)
2011–2013	Persepolis	40	(13)
2013–2014	Tractor Sazi	26	(5)
Total		298	(101)
National team
1999	Iran U23	3	(2)
1998–2012	Iran	127	(38)
Teams managed
2014	Iran (assistant)
2017	Naft Tehran
2018	Sepidrood
2018–2019	Sepidrood
Honours Representing  Iran Asian Games 1998 Bangkok Team AFC Asian Cup Third 2004 China
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Mohammad Ali Karimi (born 8 November 1978) is a famous Iranian football coach and former player. He was known for his amazing skills as a playmaker and forward. Karimi played in top leagues in Iran, the UAE, Qatar, and Germany.

He scored 38 goals in 127 games for the Iranian national team. In 2004, he was the top scorer at the AFC Asian Cup. That same year, he won the prestigious Asian Footballer of the Year award. Ali Karimi played his last professional game in April 2014, ending an 18-year career.

Karimi started his career with Fath Tehran in 1996 when he was 18. He then played for Persepolis, winning the Iranian league twice. In 2001, he moved to Al-Ahli Dubai in the UAE, where he won two cup titles. He was even the top goalscorer in the 2003–04 season, which is impressive for a midfielder.

In 2005, Karimi joined the famous German club Bayern Munich. He helped them win the Bundesliga and the German Cup in the 2005–06 season. Later, he won another German Cup with Schalke 04. He finished his playing career in Iran with Persepolis and Tractor Sazi, winning the Hazfi Cup with Tractor Sazi in his final season.

Ali Karimi first played for Iran in 1998 when he was 19. He played in 127 international games, including the 1998 Asian Games, and the 2000, 2004, and 2007 AFC Asian Cups. He also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. People often called him the Asian Maradona or The Magician because of his incredible dribbling and playmaking skills. FIFA even called him "One of the top 2 players of Iran's football history." Many consider him one of the greatest Asian footballers ever.

Ali Karimi is one of the most beloved athletes in Iran's history. In 2015, a TV poll named him Iran's most popular football player from 1991 to 2015. He has also used his platform to speak out on important social issues.

Ali Karimi's Club Journey

Ali Karimi began his professional football journey with Fath Football Club in 1997. This was a second-division team. He even trained on the streets using a plastic ball back then!

Playing for Persepolis

In 1998, Karimi joined Persepolis, a well-known football club. With Persepolis, he helped the team win the Iranian league twice in 1999 and 2000. They also won the Hazfi Cup once.

He had a chance to play for Perugia Calcio in Italy, but the transfer didn't happen. There was also interest from Atlético Madrid in Spain. However, Karimi chose to play for Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates. He wanted to stay closer to his home country.

Time with Al-Ahli

Karimi signed with Al-Ahli in the UAE in 2001. In his first season, Al-Ahli won their first trophy, the President Cup.

He scored 14 goals for Al-Ahli in 2004, making him the league's top scorer. In 2020, he was also named the best foreign player in the UAE League.

Joining Bayern Munich

Karimi with Roy Makaay and Michael Ballack during a game in 2006

On May 3, 2005, Bayern Munich, a top German club, announced they had signed Karimi. He was their first new player for the 2005–06 season. Karimi was the third Iranian player to join Bayern Munich. The club noticed him after a friendly match between Iran and Germany in 2004.

Karimi played his first Bundesliga game as a substitute. In his second game, he scored a goal and assisted another, helping Bayern win 5–2. He continued to perform well, providing assists and scoring goals.

He played 25 games for Bayern by March 2006. This automatically extended his contract for another year. However, he got injured in that game and missed the rest of the 2005-2006 season.

Before his injury, he played three games in the UEFA Champions League. He even scored in his first Champions League game against Rapid Vienna. This made him the only Iranian Bayern Munich player to score in the Champions League.

Karimi's performance in the 2005–06 season was highly rated. He was still recovering from his injury before the 2006-2007 season. He played 16 games that season. In his two seasons with Bayern Munich, Karimi played 42 games. He scored four goals and made four assists.

In 2017, the website Transfermarkt listed Karimi among the best players who joined Bayern Munich for free and played well. His teammate Lukas Podolski called him "the best ever from Iran."

Playing in Qatar

On July 3, 2007, Karimi signed a two-year deal with Qatar Sports Club. He then signed with Al-Sailiya in July 2008.

Return to Persepolis

Karimi as captain of Persepolis before a friendly match

Karimi returned to Persepolis on a one-year contract in September 2008. Persepolis had to pay Al-Sailiya to release him.

He scored his first goal back at Persepolis in the famous Tehran derby match. He also scored three goals in one game against Abumoslem. However, his contract was not extended after this season.

Time with Steel Azin

Ali Karimi while playing for Steel Azin

Karimi joined the newly promoted club Steel Azin in July 2009. He started the season by scoring in four straight matches. He scored two goals against Shahin and his 11th goal of the season against Pas FC.

Playing for Schalke 04

Karimi signed a five-month deal with Schalke in Germany in January 2011. He played his first game for Schalke in a Champions League quarter-final match against Inter Milan. He also played one Bundesliga game. He won the German Cup with Schalke before his contract ended.

Another Return to Persepolis

On June 15, 2011, Karimi returned to Persepolis for the second time. He played for them in the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup and the 2011–12 Hazfi Cup. He was also named the team captain. He scored his first goal of the season against Shahrdari Tabriz. He extended his contract for another season in 2012. He announced his retirement from football at the end of that season.

Final Club: Tractor Sazi

On June 13, 2013, Karimi decided to come out of retirement and joined Tractor Sazi. He signed a one-year contract. He played his first game for Tractor Sazi against his former club, Persepolis. He scored his first goal for Tractor Sazi in a 4–2 win against Zob Ahan. He helped Tractor Sazi win the Hazfi Cup, which was his first title in Iranian football since returning from Europe.

On July 20, 2014, Ali Karimi officially announced his retirement from football. He was 35 years old and had played professional football for 18 years.

Ali Karimi's International Career

Karimi playing for Iran against South Korea, Seoul World Cup Stadium

Karimi first played for the Iranian national team in October 1998. In the same year, he won a Gold Medal with Iran at the 1998 Asian Games. He scored one of Iran's goals in the final game.

He was a key player for Iran during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification. Iran had to play a play-off against the Republic of Ireland. Karimi showed his speed and dribbling skills in these games.

At the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Karimi scored five goals, making him the joint top scorer. Iran finished third in the tournament. In the quarter-final, he scored three goals against South Korea. In 2004, Karimi received the important Asian Player of the Year award. He also won the 2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship with Iran.

His great performance in a friendly game against Germany in October 2004 caught the attention of Bayern Munich.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Karimi was recovering from an ankle injury. He couldn't play as well as usual. Iran lost to Mexico and Portugal.

In 2008, Karimi briefly stopped playing for the national team after some disagreements. However, he was soon back on the team. In October 2008, he announced his retirement from the national team again. But in April 2009, he said he was ready to play for his country if chosen.

He played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification games. On June 10, 2009, he scored a goal against the UAE, keeping Iran's World Cup hopes alive. He played in Iran's final qualifying game, which ended in a draw and meant Iran did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

He was invited back to the national team by coach Carlos Queiroz in 2011. He played for the team until his retirement in 2013. Queiroz later said Karimi was one of his best players. Ali Karimi is currently the third most-capped player and the third-highest scorer for Iran.

How Ali Karimi Played

Ali Karimi during a friendly match against Germany at Azadi (Freedom) stadium in Tehran, 2004

Ali Karimi was most famous for his amazing dribbling skills. In 2003, World Soccer magazine described his "hypnotic movements and ball work." In 2004, kicker magazine called him the "Maradona of Asia." They said he could shoot well with both feet and change direction very quickly.

He often played as an attacking midfielder. FIFA magazine called him a "professional playmaker" in 2006. In 2009, FIFA noted his "stunning dribbles" and said he was known as "Magician."

In 2017, the AFC also called him the "Maradona of Asia." They described his "magical dribbling skills" and his ability to do the "unpredictable."

Becoming a Manager

On September 25, 2014, Karimi became an assistant coach for the Iranian national team under Carlos Queiroz. However, he left this role before the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

In June 2017, he was appointed manager of Naft Tehran, but he left shortly after. He later became the head coach of Sepidrood in January 2018. He helped the team stay in the Persian Gulf Pro League.

Personal Life

Ali Karimi married Sahar Davari in 1999. They have a daughter named Hima and two sons named Havash and Hirsa.

Karimi has publicly supported social issues in Iran. He has used his large online following to share his views.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Karimi goal.

List of international goals scored by Ali Karimi

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	19 December 1998	Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand	Kuwait	1–0	2–0	1998 Asian Games
2	9 April 2000	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Bahrain	2–0	3–0	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
3	24 May 2000	King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Kazakhstan	1–0	3–0	2000 West Asian Football Federation Championship
4				3–0
5	28 May 2000	King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Syria	1–0	1–0	2000 West Asian Football Federation Championship
6	31 May 2000	King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Jordan	1–0	1–0	2000 West Asian Football Federation Championship
7	24 November 2000	Takhti Stadium, Tabriz, Iran	Guam	3–0	19–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
8				11–0
9				12–0
10				19–0
11	10 August 2001	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2–0	4–0	2001 LG Cup Final
12	15 August 2001	Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia	Slovakia	1–0	4–3	Friendly
13				2–0
14				4–3
15	7 September 2001	Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad, Iraq	Iraq	1–1	2–1	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	12 October 2001	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Iraq	2–1	2–1	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	6 February 2002	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Slovakia	1–1	2–3	Friendly
18				2–3
19	11 August 2002	Takhti Stadium, Tabriz, Iran	Azerbaijan	1–1	1–1	Friendly
20	3 September 2002	Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria	Lebanon	2–0	2–0	2002 West Asian Football Federation Championship
21	12 October 2003	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	New Zealand	1–0	3–0	AFC/OFC Cup Challenge
22				2–0
23	27 October 2003	Kim Il Sung Stadium, Pyongyang, North Korea	North Korea	1–0	3–1	2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification
24				2–1
25	21 June 2004	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Syria	6–1	7–1	2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship
26	25 June 2004	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Syria	1–1	4–1	2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship
27	24 July 2004	Chongqing Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China	Oman	1–2	2–2	2004 AFC Asian Cup
28	31 July 2004	Shandong Provincial Stadium, Shandong, China	South Korea	1–0	4–3	2004 AFC Asian Cup
29				2–1
30				4–3
31	6 August 2004	Workers' Stadium, Beijing, China	Bahrain	2–1	4–2	2004 AFC Asian Cup
32	30 January 2006	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Costa Rica	1–0	3–2	Friendly
33	28 May 2006	Gradski Vrt Stadium, Osijek, Croatia	Croatia	1–0	2–2	Friendly
34	11 October 2006	Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei, Chinese Taipei	Chinese Taipei	1–0	2–0	2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
35				2–0
36	10 June 2009	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	United Arab Emirates	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
37	23 July 2011	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Maldives	3–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
38	23 February 2012	Zabeel Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	Jordan	1–2	2–2	Friendly

Managerial Statistics

Honours

Persepolis

• Iranian Football League: 1998–99, 1999–2000
• Hazfi Cup: 1998–99
• Asian Club Championship: third place 1999–2000, third place 2000–01

Al-Ahli

• UAE Cup: 2001–02, 2003–04

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2005–06
• DFB-Pokal: 2005–06

Schalke 04

• DFB-Pokal: 2010–11

Tractor Sazi

• Hazfi Cup: 2013–14

Iran

• Asian Games Gold Medal: 1998
• West Asian Football Federation Championship: 2000, 2004
• AFC/OFC Cup Challenge: 2003
• Asian Cup: third place 2004

Individual

• Asian Footballer of the Year: 2004; runner-up: 2012
• West Asian Football Federation Championship MVP: 2000
• UAE Pro League best foreign player: 2002–03
• UAE Pro League best player: 2003–04
• UAE Pro League top scorer: 2003–04
• Best foreign player in UAE Pro League history (based on a poll run by Al Bayan newspaper in 2020)
• Asian Cup top scorer: 2004
• Asian Cup All-Star Team: 2004
• AFC/OFC Cup Challenge MVP: 2003
• AFC Asian Player of the Month: 2000 (June), 2001 (October), 2003 (October)
• iran Pro League top scoring midfielder: 2009–10 (14 goals), 2011–12 (12 goals)
• Top scoring midfielder of Persepolis F.C. in AFC Champions League (ten goals)
• One of the top 2 players of Iran's football history chosen by FIFA (Iran national football team's introduction Video for 2018 FIFA World Cup)
• AFC Asian Cup Fans' All-time Best XI: 2018
• Marca Fans' Top Iranian footballer of all time: 2019

See Also

In Spanish: Ali Karimi para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps