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Alireza Jahanbakhsh
2022 FIFA World Cup England 6–2 Iran - (26) (cropped).jpg
Jahanbakhsh with Iran in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Alireza Jahan Bakhsh Jirandeh
Date of birth (1993-08-11) 11 August 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Jirandeh, Iran
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Winger, Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
Free Agent
Youth career
2005–2007 Payam Alborz Qazvin
2007–2008 Persian Qazvin
2008–2010 Damash Gilan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Damash Tehran 12 (0)
2011–2013 Damash Gilan 44 (10)
2013–2015 NEC 55 (17)
2015–2018 AZ 85 (34)
2018–2021 Brighton & Hove Albion 50 (2)
2021–2024 Feyenoord 71 (9)
2024–2025 SC Heerenveen 19 (3)
International career
2010–2013 Iran U20 17 (11)
2011–2015 Iran U21 6 (1)
2013– Iran 91 (17)
Medal record
Representing  Iran
CAFA Nations Cup
Winner 2023 Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan Team
AFF U-19 Youth Championship
Winner 2012 Vietnam
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 April 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 March 2025

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is a professional footballer from Iran. He was born on August 11, 1993. Alireza plays as a winger or attacking midfielder. He is also the captain of the Iran national team.

In 2014, Alireza was recognized as one of the best young talents in the Eredivisie, which is the top football league in the Netherlands. During the 2017–18 Eredivisie season, he scored 21 goals. This made him the first Asian player ever to be the top scorer in a major European football league.

Alireza has played for Iran in many big tournaments. He represented his country at the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He also played in the AFC Asian Cup in 2015, 2019, and 2023. Before joining the senior team, he played for Iran's under-20 and under-21 teams.

Early Life and Start in Football

Alireza Jahanbakhsh was born in Jirandeh, a small city in Iran. He grew up in Qazvin. He started playing football at a young age.

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Iran

Alireza spent most of his youth playing football in Rasht and Qazvin. In 2008, he joined the youth academy of Damash Tehran. He began his senior career with Damash Tehran in Iran's second division.

In 2011, when he was 17, Alireza moved to S.C. Damash Gilan. He played his first game for them in the Persian Gulf Pro League, Iran's top league. He was one of the youngest players ever for Damash. He scored his first goal for the club in January 2012. He played 42 league games for Damash, scoring 10 goals.

Moving to the Netherlands: NEC

In May 2013, Alireza agreed to join NEC, a club in the Dutch Eredivisie. He officially joined them in July 2013.

First Season at NEC

Alireza made his debut for NEC in August 2013. He scored his first goal for the club in a big 8–0 win in the KNVB Cup. In December 2013, he scored two goals and helped with another in a 3–2 league win against AZ Alkmaar.

On the last day of the 2013–14 season, Alireza scored two important goals against Ajax. These goals helped NEC avoid being automatically relegated from the league. He was voted as one of the top young talents in the Eredivisie that season.

Success with NEC

In the 2014–15 season, Alireza continued to shine. He scored a goal in the first game of the season. In August, he scored two goals and made two assists in a 4–1 win. He helped NEC reach the top of the league table.

In October 2014, Alireza was named the Best Player for the first part of the 2014–15 Jupiler League season. He scored a fantastic bicycle kick goal in February 2015. At the end of the season, fans chose him as NEC's player of the season. He was also voted the best player in the Eerste Divisie for the 2014–15 season. He scored 12 goals and made 18 assists that season.

Joining AZ Alkmaar

On August 3, 2015, Alireza signed a five-year contract with another Dutch club, AZ Alkmaar. He wore the number nine jersey. He made his Eredivisie debut for AZ in September 2015.

First Season at AZ

Alireza made his UEFA Europa League debut in October 2015. He got his first assist for AZ in November 2015. He scored his first goal for AZ in January 2016 against his old club, NEC.

Continued Success at AZ

For the 2016–17 season, Alireza changed his jersey number to seven. He scored his first goal of the season in August 2016. In January 2017, he scored two goals and made an assist in a 3–1 win. He was named man of the match. He scored his first goal in a European competition in February 2017. Alireza was named the best winger in the Dutch League for the 2016–17 season.

Top Scorer in Europe

The 2017–18 season was amazing for Alireza. He scored a hat trick (three goals) in April 2018. On the very last day of the season, he scored another hat trick. This made him the top goal scorer in the Eredivisie with 21 goals. He also had 12 assists. This achievement made him the first Asian player ever to be the top goal scorer in a major European league.

Moving to England: Brighton & Hove Albion

BHA v FC Nantes pre season 03 08 2018-287 (43135243974)
Jahanbakhsh warming up with Brighton in August 2018

On July 25, 2018, Alireza moved to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in England. He signed a five-year contract. He chose to wear the number 16 jersey.

He made his debut for Brighton in August 2018. He played 25 matches in his first season.

First Goals for Brighton

In December 2019, Alireza scored his first goal for Brighton against Bournemouth. He was very emotional after scoring. On January 1, 2020, he scored an amazing bicycle kick goal against Chelsea. This goal was later voted the Premier League Goal of the Month for January. Alireza said it was the best goal he had ever scored.

He continued to score in the EFL Cup in September 2020. He also played in Brighton's historic 3–2 win over Manchester City in May 2021.

Return to the Netherlands: Feyenoord

On July 17, 2021, Alireza joined Feyenoord, a big club in the Netherlands. He signed a three-year contract. He made his debut for Feyenoord in a European match in July 2021. He scored his first two goals for the club in August, helping Feyenoord win 3–0. He made his league debut for Feyenoord in August 2021.

With Feyenoord, he won the Eredivisie title in the 2022–23 season and the KNVB Cup in the 2023–24 season.

SC Heerenveen

On November 6, 2024, Alireza signed a contract with another Dutch Eredivisie club, SC Heerenveen, until the end of the season.

International Career

Alireza Jahanbakhsh T1
Jahanbakhsh training with Iran before the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 2018
Jahanbakhsh playing for Iran in a friendly match against Turkey before the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Iran vs morocco 7
Jahanbakhsh playing for Iran against Morocco in the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Alireza Jahanbakhsh in Iran national football team 2018
Alireza Jahanbakhsh playing for Iran in a friendly match against Turkey, 2018

Youth Teams

Alireza played for Iran's under-20 team at the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship. He was only 16 at the time. He later captained the under-20 team and scored 5 goals in four games during the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualification. He added two more goals at the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship.

He was also called up to Iran's under-23 Olympic team in March 2015 and became their captain. The team qualified for the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship.

Senior National Team

Alireza was first called up to the senior national team (Team Melli) in October 2013. He made his debut as a substitute in a match against Thailand.

He scored his first goal for the national team in his second game, a 3–0 win against Thailand in November 2013.

World Cup Appearances

Alireza was chosen for Iran's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. He played in all three of Iran's matches in the tournament. He was also part of Iran's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in all three group matches there as well. For the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he played in Iran's first two games. He received two yellow cards, which meant he was suspended for the final group game.

Asian Cup Appearances

He was also part of Iran's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In December 2018, he was selected for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He scored his first goal in that tournament against Oman. In January 2024, he was named in the Iranian squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. In the quarter-finals against Japan, he scored a penalty in extra time. This goal helped his country win 2–1 and reach the semi-finals.

Playing Style

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is known for being a fast and dangerous player on the field. He has been compared to famous Iranian football legend Mehdi Mahdavikia.

Career Statistics

Club Performance

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Damash Tehran 2010–11 Iranian 2nd Division 12 0 0 0 12 0
Damash Gilan 2011–12 Persian Gulf Pro League 16 2 2 0 18 2
2012–13 28 8 4 1 32 9
Total 44 10 6 1 50 11
NEC 2013–14 Eredivisie 27 5 4 1 2 0 33 6
2014–15 Eerste Divisie 28 12 3 1 31 13
Total 55 17 7 2 2 0 64 19
AZ 2015–16 Eredivisie 23 3 3 0 3 0 29 3
2016–17 29 10 4 0 9 1 1 1 43 12
2017–18 33 21 6 1 39 22
Total 85 34 13 1 12 1 1 1 111 37
Brighton & Hove Albion 2018–19 Premier League 19 0 4 0 1 0 24 0
2019–20 10 2 1 0 1 0 12 2
2020–21 21 0 1 0 3 2 25 2
Total 50 2 6 0 5 2 61 4
Feyenoord 2021–22 Eredivisie 27 4 1 0 14 4 42 8
2022–23 28 5 4 0 8 3 40 8
2023–24 16 0 1 0 5 1 1 0 23 1
Total 71 9 6 0 27 8 1 0 105 17
Heerenveen 2024–25 Eredivisie 19 3 1 0 20 3
Career total 336 75 39 4 5 2 39 9 4 1 422 91

International Performance

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Iran 2013 3 1
2014 8 0
2015 6 0
2016 9 2
2017 8 1
2018 9 1
2019 7 2
2020 0 0
2021 8 4
2022 8 2
2023 8 2
2024 15 2
2025 2 0
Total 91 17
Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first.
List of international goals scored by Alireza Jahanbakhsh
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 15 November 2013 Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand  Thailand 3–0 3–0 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2. 24 March 2016 Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran  India 4–0 4–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3. 1 September 2016  Qatar 2–0 2–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4. 13 November 2017 Stadion de Goffert, Nijmegen, Netherlands  Venezuela 1–0 1–0 Friendly
5. 16 October 2018 Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran  Bolivia 1–0 2–1
6. 20 January 2019 Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates  Oman 1–0 2–0 2019 AFC Asian Cup
7. 6 June 2019 Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran  Syria 1–0 5–0 Friendly
8. 11 June 2021 Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain  Cambodia 1–0 10–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
9. 3 September 2021 Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran  Syria 1–0 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
10. 7 September 2021 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Iraq 1–0 3–0
11. 12 October 2021 Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran  South Korea 1–1 1–1
12. 29 March 2022 Imam Reza Stadium, Mashhad, Iran  Lebanon 2–0 2–0
13. 12 June 2022 Suheim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Algeria 1–1 1–2 Friendly
14. 13 June 2023 Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan  Afghanistan 4–0 6–1 2023 CAFA Nations Cup
15. 17 October 2023 Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan  Qatar 2–0 4–0 2023 Jordan International Tournament
16. 3 February 2024 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar  Japan 2–1 2–1 2023 AFC Asian Cup
17. 7 February 2024 Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Qatar 2–2 2–3

Awards and Achievements

NEC

AZ

  • KNVB Cup runner-up: 2016–17, 2017–18 (Second place)

Feyenoord

Iran U20

  • AFF U-19 Youth Championship: 2012 (Winners)

Iran

  • CAFA Nations Cup: 2023 (Winners)
  • Jordan International Tournament: 2023 (Winners)

Individual Awards

  • AFF U-19 Youth Championship Top goalscorer: 2012
  • AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2023
  • Eerste Divisie First Period Player of the Season: 2014–15
  • Eerste Divisie Best Player of the Season (Gouden Stier): 2014–15
  • Eredivisie top scorer: 2017–18 (21 goals)
  • Premier League Goal of the Month: January 2020
  • Feyenoord Goal of Season: 2021–22

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alireza Jahanbakhsh para niños

  • Iranians in the Netherlands
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