Ali Karimi facts for kids
Ali Karimi 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mohammad Ali Karimi | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 November 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Karaj, Iran | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Iran U23 | 3 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2012 | Iran | 127 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Iran (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Naft Tehran | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Sepidrood | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Sepidrood | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and 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. Ali Karimi played for many teams in Iran, the UAE, Qatar, and Germany.
He scored 38 goals in 127 games for the Iran national team. In 2004, he was the top scorer at the AFC Asian Cup. He also won the Asian Footballer of the Year award that same year. Ali Karimi retired from playing football in 2014 after an 18-year career.
Ali Karimi started his career with Fath Tehran when he was 18. He then played for Persepolis, winning the Iranian league twice. Later, he moved to Al-Ahli in Dubai, where he won two cup titles. In 2005, he joined Bayern Munich in Europe. There, he won the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup). He also won another German Cup with Schalke 04. He finished his playing career in Iran with Persepolis and Tractor Sazi.
Ali Karimi played for Iran's national team from 1998 to 2012. He played in five major tournaments, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup. People often called him the Asian Maradona or The Magician because of his great dribbling and playmaking skills. FIFA once called him "One of the top 2 players of Iran's football history." The AFC also named him "one of the icons of Asian football history."
Ali Karimi is one of the most popular athletes in Iran's history. In 2015, a TV poll named him Iran's most popular football player from 1991 to 2015.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Ali Karimi began his professional football journey with Fath Football Club in 1997. He started in the second division.
Time with Persepolis
In 1998, Ali Karimi joined Persepolis. This team won the Iranian league twice in a row in 1999 and 2000. They also won the Hazfi Cup once. He had a chance to play for a team in Italy, but the transfer did not happen. He chose to play for Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates to stay closer to home.
Playing for Al-Ahli
Ali Karimi signed with Al Ahli in the UAE in 2001. He earned a good salary there. In his first season, Al-Ahli won their first trophy, the President Cup.
He scored 14 goals for Al Ahli in 2004, which was the most in the league. In 2020, he was named the best foreign player in the UAE League.
His Time at Bayern Munich
On 3 May 2005, Bayern Munich announced they had signed Ali Karimi. He was their first new player for the 2005–06 season. He was the third Iranian player to join the team. Bayern Munich noticed him after a friendly match between Iran and Germany in 2004.
Karimi played his first game for Bayern in the Bundesliga. In his second game, he scored a goal and helped with another, making him the second-best player of the match. He continued to play well, providing assists and scoring goals. He was even named man of the match in one game.
On 4 March 2006, Karimi played his 25th game for Bayern. This automatically extended his contract for another year. However, he got injured in that game and missed the rest of the 2005-2006 season.
He played three games in the UEFA Champions League before his injury. He scored a goal in his very first Champions League game against Rapid Vienna. This made him the only Iranian Bayern Munich player to score in the Champions League.
Even with his injury, Karimi's performance in the 2005–06 season was highly rated. He played 42 games for Bayern Munich over two seasons. He scored four goals and made four assists. In 2017, a website called Transfermarkt listed him as one of the best players who joined Bayern Munich for free and played well.
His teammate, Lukas Podolski, said in 2020 that it was a "pleasure to play with this legend Ali Karimi." He called him "the best ever from Iran."
In 2022, Bayern Munich showed support for Ali Karimi. This was after he spoke out about events in Iran. The club said they were in touch with the German ambassador about his well-being.
Playing for Qatar SC
On 3 July 2007, Ali Karimi signed a two-year deal with Qatar Sports Club. He then signed with Al-Sailiya in 2008.
Return to Persepolis
Ali Karimi returned to Persepolis on 6 September 2008. Persepolis paid a fee to release him from his contract in Qatar. He signed a one-year contract.
He scored his first goal back at Persepolis in the Tehran derby. 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 joined Steel Azin on 29 July 2009. He scored in four games in a row at the start of the season. He scored two goals in one match against Shahin.
In August 2010, he had a disagreement with the club. He was briefly removed from the team but was back a few days later.
Playing for Schalke 04
Ali Karimi signed a five-month contract with Schalke on 31 January 2011. He played his first game for the German club on 5 April 2011 in a Champions League match. He also played one Bundesliga game. He won the German Cup for the second time with Schalke before his contract ended.
Another Return to Persepolis
On 15 June 2011, Ali Karimi returned to Persepolis for the second time. He played in the 2011–12 season and was also made the team captain. He scored his first goal of the season against Shahrdari Tabriz. He extended his contract for another season in 2012. He had some injuries and decided to retire from football at the end of that season.
Playing for Tractor Sazi
On 13 June 2013, Ali Karimi decided to come out of retirement. He joined Tractor Sazi on a one-year contract. He played his first game for Tractor Sazi against his old club, Persepolis. He scored his first goal for Tractor Sazi in a 4–2 win. He helped Tractor Sazi win the Hazfi Cup in his final season. This was his first title in Iranian football since returning from Europe.
On 20 July 2014, Ali Karimi officially announced his retirement. He was 35 years old and had played professional football for 18 years.
International Career Highlights
Ali Karimi played his first game for the Iran national team in October 1998. That 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 in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification. Iran did not make it to the World Cup that year.
At the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Ali 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, he 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 2004 made Bayern Munich interested in him.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Ali Karimi was recovering from an ankle injury. He could not play his best, and Iran lost their games. He was substituted in one game and showed his frustration. He did not play in the last group game.
He played in the 2007 Asian Cup. In 2008, he had some disagreements with the football federation. However, he was allowed to rejoin the national team after some important people stepped in.
In October 2008, Ali Karimi said he was retiring from the national team. But in April 2009, he said he was ready to play again if chosen. He played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 10 June 2009, he scored a goal that kept Iran's World Cup hopes alive. However, Iran did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
He was invited back to the national team in 2011 by coach Carlos Queiroz. He played for Iran until his retirement in 2013. Queiroz later said Ali Karimi was one of his best players. Ali Karimi is now the third most-capped player and the third-highest scorer for Iran.
How Ali Karimi Played
Ali Karimi was famous for his amazing dribbling skills. In 2003, World Soccer magazine said he had "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 described him as a professional playmaker in 2006.
According to FIFA in 2009, Ali Karimi's "stunning dribbles" were a key part of his game. This is why he was known as "Magician."
In 2017, the AFC called him the "Maradona of Asia." They said he was "one of the Icons of Asian football history." They also mentioned his "magical dribbling skills" and his ability to do "the unpredictable."
Coaching Career
On 25 September 2014, Ali Karimi became an assistant coach for the Iranian national team under Carlos Queiroz. He left this role before the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In June 2017, he was named manager of Naft Tehran, but he left before the league started. He later resigned with Naft in September. On 1 January 2018, he became the head coach of Sepidrood. 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.
In late 2022, Ali Karimi publicly supported protests in Iran. He used his social media to share information. He also met with the German president, who supported the Iranian people.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Persepolis | 1998–99 | Azadegan League | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||
| 1999–00 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 15 | 4 | |||
| 2000–01 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 4 | 29 | 9 | |||
| Total | 42 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 57 | 16 | ||
| Al-Ahli | 2001–02 | UAE League | 14 | — | — | |||||||
| 2002–03 | 5 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2003–04 | 15 | — | — | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 11 | — | 6 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total | 69 | 45 | 30 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 116 | 81 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2005–06 | Bundesliga | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 3 |
| 2006–07 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
| Total | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 4 | ||
| Qatar SC | 2007–08 | Qatari League | 26 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 30 | 6 | |
| Persepolis | 2008–09 | Pro League | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 2 | 28 | 7 | |
| Steel Azin | 2009–10 | Pro League | 28 | 14 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 31 | 15 | ||
| 2010–11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 15 | ||
| Schalke 04 | 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Persepolis | 2011–12 | Pro League | 28 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 3 | 37 | 15 | |
| 2012–13 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 52 | 16 | ||
| Tractor Sazi | 2013–14 | Pro League | 26 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 34 | 5 | |
| Career total | 298 | 101 | 51 | 30 | 13 | 6 | 45 | 13 | 407 | 150 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 1998 | 9 | 1 |
| 2000 | 21 | 9 | |
| 2001 | 19 | 6 | |
| 2002 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2004 | 17 | 7 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 127 | 38 | |
- Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Karimi goal.
| 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
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Win % | |||
| Naft Tehran | 7 September 2017 | 2 October 2017 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 33.33 |
| Sepidrood Rasht | 1 January 2018 | 1 July 2018 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 14 | −3 | 46.15 |
| 25 August 2018 | Present | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 16 | −8 | 28.57 | |
| Total | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 36.67 | ||
Awards and Achievements
Persepolis
- Iranian Football League: 1998–99, 1999–2000
- Hazfi Cup: 1998–99
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 National Team
- Asian Games Gold Medal: 1998
- West Asian Football Federation Championship: 2000, 2004
- AFC/OFC Cup Challenge: 2003
- Asian Cup: third place 2004
Individual Awards
- Asian Footballer of the Year: 2004
- 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
- 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 (for 2018 FIFA World Cup video)
- 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
