Iran national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
IR Iran

Nicknames	Team Melli (National Team) Yuzhaye Irani (Persian Cheetahs) other nicknames
Association	Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	CAFA (Central Asia)
Head coach	Amir Ghalenoi
Captain	Ehsan Hajsafi
Most caps	Javad Nekounam (149)
Top scorer	Ali Daei (108)
Home stadium	Azadi Stadium
FIFA code	IRN
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	22 7 (7 February 2019)
Highest	15 (August 2005)
Lowest	122 (May 1996)
First international
Afghanistan 0–0 Iran  (Kabul, Afghanistan; 25 August 1941)
Biggest win
Iran 19–0 Guam  (Tabriz, Iran; 24 November 2000)
Biggest defeat
Turkey 6–1 Iran  (Istanbul, Turkey; 28 May 1950)  South Korea 5–0 Iran  (Tokyo, Japan; 28 May 1958)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1978)
Best result	Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Asian Cup
Appearances	16 (first in 1968)
Best result	Champions (1968, 1972, 1976)
Olympic Games
Appearances	4 (first in 1964)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1976)
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
Appearances	2 (first in 1978)
Best result	Runners-up (1991)
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2003)
Best result	Champions (2003)
Medal record Men's football AFC Asian Cup 1968 Iran Team 1972 Thailand Team 1976 Iran Team Bronze 1980 Kuwait Team Bronze 1988 Qatar Team Bronze 1996 UAE Team Bronze 2004 China Team Bronze 2019 UAE Team Bronze 2023 Qatar Team Asian Games 1974 Tehran Team 1990 Beijing Team 1998 Bangkok Team 1951 New Delhi Team 1966 Bangkok Team WAFF Championship 2000 Jordan Team 2004 Iran Team 2007 Jordan Team 2008 Iran Team 2010 Jordan Team Bronze 2002 Syria Team CAFA Nations Cup 2023 Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Team 2025 Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Team Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 1991 Iran and Algeria Team AFC–OFC Challenge Cup 2003 Iran Team

The Iran national football team (also known as Team Melli) represents Iran in men's international football. The team is managed by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI). This organization is part of the AFC and FIFA, which is the global football governing body.

Iran has achieved great success in Asia. They won the AFC Asian Cup three times in a row: in 1968, 1972, and 1976. They also won three Asian Games gold medals in 1974, 1990, and 1998. Their best performance on the world stage was reaching the quarter-finals at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times. These appearances were in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026. They have not yet moved past the group stages in the World Cup. However, they have won three matches: against the United States in 1998, Morocco in 2018, and Wales in 2022. In regional competitions, Iran has won four WAFF Championships and one CAFA Nations Cup. They also won the intercontinental AFC–OFC Challenge Cup in 2003. In the 2026 World Cup, Iran finished undefeated with three draws but was eliminated from the group stage.

History of Iranian Football

Early Years and First Matches

The Iranian Football Federation was created in 1920. In 1926, a team of selected players from Tehran traveled to the Soviet Union. This was the first time an Iranian football team played a match outside the country. This Tehran team is seen as the start of Iran's national football team.

The first official match for Team Melli was on August 23, 1941. They won 1–0 against British India in Kabul. Iran's first FIFA international match was on August 25, 1941, against Afghanistan.

Iran won three AFC Asian Cups in 1968, 1972, and 1976. The 1976 win was their most recent Asian Cup title. In 1978, Iran played in its first FIFA World Cup. They qualified after beating Australia in Tehran. In the World Cup, they lost two games and drew one against Scotland.

Challenges and Comebacks (1980s–2006)

After a period of changes in the country, football faced some challenges. During the 1980s, the team couldn't join World Cup competitions due to a conflict. They even had to withdraw from some qualifying games. This time was tough for football in Iran, but new leagues started in 1989 and 1990, helping the sport grow again. Despite not qualifying for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, new talented players emerged. These players helped the team achieve third place in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. They had big wins, including 3–0 against Saudi Arabia and 6–2 against South Korea.

Iran qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup after a close playoff against Australia in November 1997. They advanced because of the away goals rule. In their first World Cup game, Iran lost 1–0 to Yugoslavia. However, they made history by winning their first World Cup match against the United States 2–1. Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scored for Iran. Before the match, both teams exchanged gifts and flowers, showing sportsmanship. Iran then lost 2–0 to Germany, finishing third in their group.

In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Iran won their group but lost to South Korea in the quarter-finals. They did not qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. After this, Branko Ivanković became the new coach. Iran finished third in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, beating Bahrain 4–2 in the third-place match.

Iran qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in June 2005. A qualifying match against Japan in Tehran had a very large crowd. In the 2006 World Cup, Iran lost to Mexico (3–1) and Portugal (2–0). They drew 1–1 with Angola and were eliminated from the group stage.

In November 2006, FIFA briefly suspended Iran from international football. This was due to concerns about how the national football association was run. The ban was lifted in less than a month.

Recent World Cup Journeys (2007–2026)

Amir Ghalenoei became Iran's manager in 2006. Iran reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, losing to South Korea in a penalty shootout. Ali Daei then took over as manager. Iran did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In a 2009 match, some players wore green wristbands. There were rumors about them being banned, but the Iranian Football Federation clarified that no players faced disciplinary action. Afshin Ghotbi became coach and led Iran to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals.

In April 2011, former Real Madrid manager Carlos Queiroz became the coach. Under him, Iran successfully qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. They won their group in the final round of Asian qualifiers. Queiroz brought in players from other countries with Iranian heritage, like Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejhad.

At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Iran was in a group with Argentina, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They drew 0–0 with Nigeria, their first clean sheet in a World Cup. They then lost 1–0 to Argentina with a late goal from Lionel Messi, earning praise for their strong defense. Iran was eliminated after a 3–1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Reza Ghoochannejhad scoring their only goal. Queiroz continued as manager until the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Iran qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup as group winners. They won all their group matches against Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE. In the quarter-finals, they faced Iraq. After a tough match that ended 3–3 in extra time, Iran lost 7–6 in a penalty shootout.

Iran was the second team to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after beating Uzbekistan 2–0 in June 2017. In the World Cup, they won their first match against Morocco 1–0. They then lost 1–0 to Spain. Their final group match against Portugal ended in a 1–1 draw, with Karim Ansarifard scoring a penalty. Despite earning four points, their highest ever in a World Cup, Iran was eliminated.

In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Iran won their group by beating Yemen 5–0 and Vietnam 2–0, and drawing 0–0 with Iraq. They defeated Oman 2–0 and China 3–0 to reach the semi-finals. However, they lost 3–0 to Japan and missed out on the final.

Iran qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup as the highest-ranked Asian team. In October 2019, some Iranian women were able to attend a match. However, in March 2022, women were again not allowed to enter the stadium for a World Cup qualifying game. A friendly match against Canada in June 2022 was cancelled due to various concerns. Before the 2022 World Cup, some people called for the team to be banned due to concerns about stadium access for women and other issues.

Iran started the 2022 World Cup with a 6–2 loss to England. In this match, the Iranian team did not sing their national anthem, which drew much attention. Some fans showed their feelings about events happening in their country. For the match against Wales, the players sang the national anthem. Some fans in the stadium expressed different views, and there were reports of certain flags and banners being removed by security. Iran defeated Wales 2–0, their first World Cup win against a European team. Before their final group match against the United States, the players sang the national anthem again. After losing this game 1–0, Iran was out of the tournament. There were reports of some people celebrating the team's exit, and some fans faced issues with authorities.

During the World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, there were reports about how some fans were organized to support the team. Iran was knocked out in the semi-final of the Asian Cup by hosts Qatar. After the game, there were reports of some teenagers being arrested for celebrating the team's loss.

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Iran qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on March 25, 2025, after a 2–2 draw against Uzbekistan.

Events Affecting Football in 2026

In early 2026, events in Iran led to discussions about the national team's participation and the role of athletes. Some former players spoke out about these events, and the team captain showed support for the people. Following these events, some people asked FIFA to consider banning the Iranian national team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A former player, Ali Karimi, and others wrote to FIFA about the situation. Also, a friendly match with Spain was reportedly cancelled.

During a period of international tension in 2026, a player named Sardar Azmoun was reportedly removed from the team after sharing a picture online. There were also calls for FIFA to ban the team during a meeting in Vancouver. FIFA decided to continue its policy of not allowing certain flags in World Cup stadiums. Mexico announced it would host the team for the World Cup after the United States decided not to host them during a time of international conflict.

Visa Issues for the 2026 World Cup

Before the 2026 World Cup, some staff members of the Iranian national team faced issues getting visas to enter the United States. This led to discussions between the football federation and authorities. The Iranian Football Federation stated that these actions went against fair sports rules and asked FIFA for help. The team was also informed that they could only enter and leave the United States on the same day as their matches.

2026 World Cup Performance

Despite the visa issues and training in Mexico, the Iranian national team traveled to the US for its first two games. In their first game, Iran came from behind twice to draw 2–2 against New Zealand. Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi scored for Iran. During a game, Mohammad Mohebi's goal celebration caused some discussion. He later explained it was just a celebratory gesture, not meant to be political. In their second game, Iran drew 0–0 against Belgium. The team reportedly left a note in the dressing room calling for peace. They left a similar message after their third and final game against Egypt, which ended 1–1. Iran did not qualify for the knockout round. However, this was the first time Iran finished a World Cup without a loss, making them the only undefeated team not to advance.

Team Identity

Nicknames

The Iranian national team has several nicknames. The most common is Team Melli, which means "National Team" in Persian. Other nicknames include "Lions of Iran" and "Princes of Persia." For the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their slogan was Honour of Persia. A newer nickname is The Cheetahs (Yuzpalangan), used because the Asiatic cheetah was featured on their 2014 World Cup jersey.

Kits and Badges

Iran's home kit is usually white, and their away kit is red. Sometimes, they wear green shirts with white shorts and red socks.

Kit Suppliers

Here is a list of companies that have supplied kits for the Iranian national football team:

Kit supplier	Period
Adidas	1978
Puma	1980
Amini	1981–1993
Shekari	1993–1998
Puma	1998–2000
Shekari	2000–2003
Daei Sport	2003–2006
Puma	2006–2007
Merooj	2007–2008
Daei Sport	2008–2009
Legea	2009–2012
Uhlsport	2012–2016
Givova	2016
Adidas	2016–2019
Uhlsport	2019–2022
Merooj	2022–present

Sponsorship

In 2014, Iran added the endangered Asiatic cheetah to their 2014 FIFA World Cup kits. This was done to help raise awareness for cheetah conservation.

Rivalries

Iran has football rivalries with neighboring countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Matches between Iran and Iraq are always exciting. The rivalry with Saudi Arabia is also very strong, and all their games have been competitive.

Stadiums

Since 1972, Iran's main stadium has been Tehran's Azadi Stadium. It can hold about 78,116 spectators. Azadi Stadium is one of the largest football stadiums in the world. A record crowd of over 128,000 attended a World Cup qualifier there in 1998.

For a long time, women in Iran faced restrictions on attending football matches in stadiums. FIFA has encouraged changes, and in October 2019, some Iranian women were able to attend a match. However, in March 2022, women were again not allowed to enter the stadium for a World Cup qualifying game.

Other stadiums where Iran has played international games include Amjadieh Stadium, Bagh Shomal, Yadegar Emam Stadium, Takhti Stadium, Enghelab Stadium, Hafezieh Stadium, and Imam Reza Stadium. The Iran National Football Camp is where the team trains.

Results and Upcoming Matches

This section shows Iran's match results from the last year and any scheduled future games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2025

2026

2027

Coaching Staff

This table shows the current coaching staff for the Iran national football team.

Position	Name
Head Coach	Amir Ghalenoei
Assistant Coach(es)	Rahman Rezaei
	Andranik Teymourian
	Saeed Alhoei
	Human Afazeli
Goalkeeping Coach	Alin Dincă
Fitness Coach	Ali Asghar Ghorbanalipour
Physiotherapist	Alireza Shahab
Team Doctor	Parhan Khanlari
Masseurs	Amir Esmaeili
	Hadi Nejatpour
Team Supervisor	Mehdi Kharati
Team Management	Mahdi Mohammadnabi

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of June 26, 2026, after the match against Egypt.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Alireza Beiranvand	(1992-09-21) 21 September 1992 (age 33)	89	0	Unattached
12	1GK	Payam Niazmand	(1995-04-06) 6 April 1995 (age 31)	15	0	Persepolis
22	1GK	Hossein Hosseini	(1992-06-30) 30 June 1992 (age 34)	13	0	Sepahan
2	2DF	Saleh Hardani	(1998-12-26) 26 December 1998 (age 27)	20	1	Esteghlal
3	2DF	Ehsan Hajsafi (captain)	(1990-02-25) 25 February 1990 (age 36)	148	7	Sepahan
4	2DF	Shojae Khalilzadeh	(1989-05-14) 14 May 1989 (age 37)	61	2	Tractor
5	2DF	Milad Mohammadi	(1993-09-29) 29 September 1993 (age 32)	79	1	Persepolis
13	2DF	Hossein Kanaanizadegan	(1994-03-23) 23 March 1994 (age 32)	67	6	Persepolis
17	2DF	Aria Yousefi	(2002-04-22) 22 April 2002 (age 24)	15	1	Sepahan
19	2DF	Ali Nemati	(1996-02-07) 7 February 1996 (age 30)	21	0	Foolad
23	2DF	Ramin Rezaeian	(1990-03-21) 21 March 1990 (age 36)	77	10	Foolad
25	2DF	Danial Eiri	(2003-10-26) 26 October 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Malavan
6	3MF	Saeid Ezatolahi	(1996-10-01) 1 October 1996 (age 29)	86	2	Shabab Al-Ahli
7	3MF	Alireza Jahanbakhsh	(1993-08-11) 11 August 1993 (age 32)	101	17	Unattached
8	3MF	Mohammad Mohebi	(1998-12-20) 20 December 1998 (age 27)	40	15	Rostov
14	3MF	Saman Ghoddos	(1993-09-06) 6 September 1993 (age 32)	71	3	Kalba
15	3MF	Rouzbeh Cheshmi	(1993-07-24) 24 July 1993 (age 33)	40	3	Esteghlal
16	3MF	Mahdi Torabi	(1994-09-10) 10 September 1994 (age 31)	53	7	Tractor
21	3MF	Mohammad Ghorbani	(2001-05-21) 21 May 2001 (age 25)	17	0	Al-Wahda
26	3MF	Amirmohammad Razzaghinia	(2006-04-11) 11 April 2006 (age 20)	4	0	Esteghlal
9	4FW	Mehdi Taremi	(1992-07-18) 18 July 1992 (age 34)	108	60	Olympiacos
10	4FW	Mehdi Ghayedi	(1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 27)	31	10	Al-Nasr
11	4FW	Ali Alipour	(1995-11-11) 11 November 1995 (age 30)	15	1	Persepolis
18	4FW	Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh	(2000-10-30) 30 October 2000 (age 25)	20	5	Tractor
20	4FW	Shahriyar Moghanlou	(1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 (age 31)	24	2	Kalba
24	4FW	Dennis Eckert	(1997-01-09) 9 January 1997 (age 29)	0	0	Standard Liège

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called to the team in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Mohammad Khalife	(2004-08-19) 19 August 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Aluminium Arak	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
GK	Mohammad Reza Akhbari	(1993-02-15) 15 February 1993 (age 33)	1	0	Sepahan	v.  Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
GK	Ahmad Gohari	(1996-01-12) 12 January 1996 (age 30)	0	0	Paykan	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
GK	Nima Mirzazad	(1997-02-27) 27 February 1997 (age 29)	0	0	Mes Rafsanjan	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DF	Aref Aghasi	(1997-01-02) 2 January 1997 (age 29)	6	0	Esteghlal	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
DF	Danial Esmaeilifar	(1993-03-18) 18 March 1993 (age 33)	6	0	Tractor	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
DF	Hossein Abarghouei	(1997-09-17) 17 September 1997 (age 28)	1	0	Persepolis	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
DF	Masoud Mohebi	(2005-02-06) 6 February 2005 (age 21)	0	0	Kheybar	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
DF	Abolfazl Jalali	(1998-06-26) 26 June 1998 (age 28)	8	0	Esteghlal	v.  Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
DF	Saman Fallah	(2001-05-12) 12 May 2001 (age 25)	4	0	Esteghlal	v.  Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
DF	Majid Hosseini	(1996-06-20) 20 June 1996 (age 30)	30	0	Kayserispor	v.  Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
DF	Amin Hazbavi	(2003-05-06) 6 May 2003 (age 23)	7	0	Sepahan	2025 Al Ain International Cup PRE / INJ
DF	Mohammad Mehdi Zare	(2003-01-25) 25 January 2003 (age 23)	0	0	Akhmat Grozny	v.  Tanzania, 14 October 2025
DF	Mohammad Naderi	(1996-10-05) 5 October 1996 (age 29)	3	0	Tractor	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
MF	Omid Noorafkan	(1997-04-09) 9 April 1997 (age 29)	40	1	Sepahan	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Hadi Habibinejad	(1995-10-17) 17 October 1995 (age 30)	1	0	Chadormalou	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Mehdi Hashemnejad	(2001-10-27) 27 October 2001 (age 24)	7	0	Tractor	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
MF	Mohammad Mehdi Mohebi	(2000-02-10) 10 February 2000 (age 26)	4	2	Sepahan	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
MF	Aref Haji Eydi	(1999-04-06) 6 April 1999 (age 27)	0	0	Sepahan	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
MF	Ali Gholizadeh	(1996-03-10) 10 March 1996 (age 30)	44	7	Lech Poznań	v.  Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MF	Alireza Koushki	(2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 26)	2	0	Esteghlal	v.  Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
MF	Mehdi Tikdari	(1996-07-12) 12 July 1996 (age 30)	1	0	Gol Gohar	v.  Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
MF	Mohammad Javad Hosseinnejad	(2003-06-26) 26 June 2003 (age 23)	5	0	Dynamo Makhachkala	v.  Tanzania, 14 October 2025
MF	Mohammad Khodabandelou	(1999-09-07) 7 September 1999 (age 26)	1	0	Persepolis	v.  Tanzania, 14 October 2025
MF	Mehran Ahmadi	(1997-12-26) 26 December 1997 (age 28)	2	0	Esteghlal	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
FW	Kasra Taheri	(2006-08-06) 6 August 2006 (age 19)	3	0	Rubin Kazan	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
FW	Amirhossein Mahmoudi	(2006-07-12) 12 July 2006 (age 20)	3	0	Persepolis	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
FW	Ehsan Mahroughi	(1998-12-09) 9 December 1998 (age 27)	0	0	Foolad	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
FW	Pouria Shahrabadi	(2006-06-15) 15 June 2006 (age 20)	0	0	Gol Gohar	Tehran Training Camp, 19 April 2026
FW	Mohammad Omri	(2000-03-11) 11 March 2000 (age 26)	0	0	Persepolis	v.  Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
FW	Allahyar Sayyadmanesh	(2001-06-29) 29 June 2001 (age 25)	9	1	Lech Poznań	v.  Tanzania, 14 October 2025
FW	Majid Aliyari	(1996-03-02) 2 March 1996 (age 30)	2	2	Sepahan	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
INJ Withdrew due to injury PRE Preliminary squad / standby RET Retired from the national team SUS Serving suspension WD Player withdrew from the squad due to a non-injury issue.

Player Records

These are the records for players who have played for Iran. Players in bold are still active with the Iran national team.

Most Appearances

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Javad Nekounam	149	38	2000–2015
2	Ali Daei	148	108	1993–2006
	Ehsan Hajsafi	148	7	2008–present
4	Ali Karimi	127	38	1998–2012
5	Jalal Hosseini	115	8	2007–2018
6	Mehdi Mahdavikia	110	13	1996–2009
7	Mehdi Taremi	108	60	2015–present
8	Karim Ansarifard	104	30	2009–2024
9	Alireza Jahanbakhsh	101	17	2013–present
	Andranik Teymourian	101	9	2005–2016

Top Goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Ali Daei (list)	108	148	0.73	1993–2006
2	Mehdi Taremi	60	108	0.56	2015–present
3	Sardar Azmoun	57	91	0.63	2014–2025
4	Karim Bagheri	50	87	0.57	1993–2010
5	Ali Karimi	38	127	0.3	1998–2012
	Javad Nekounam	38	149	0.26	2000–2015
7	Karim Ansarifard	30	104	0.29	2009–2024
8	Gholam Hossein Mazloumi	19	40	0.48	1969–1977
9	Farshad Pious	18	34	0.53	1984–1994
10	Reza Ghoochannejhad	17	44	0.39	2012–2018
	Alireza Jahanbakhsh	17	101	0.17	2013–present

Most Capped Goalkeepers

Rank	Player	Caps	Career
1	Alireza Beiranvand	89	2015–present
2	Mehdi Rahmati	76	2004–2012
3	Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh	73	1987–1998
4	Ebrahim Mirzapour	70	2001–2011
5	Nasser Hejazi	62	1968–1980
6	Behzad Gholampour	27	1990–1999
7	Aziz Asli	24	1962–1968
8	Alireza Haghighi	23	2012–2018
9	Mansour Rashidi	20	1972–1985
	Parviz Boroumand		1998–2001

Captains

#	Reign	Player	Career	Total		As Captain		Tournaments
				Caps	Goals	Caps	Goals
1	1965–1967	Mohammad Ranjbar	1959–1967	23	0	9	0
2	1967–1970	Hassan Habibi	1958–1970	31	0	10	0	1968 AFC Asian Cup
3	1970–1972	Mostafa Arab	1959–1972	48	2	13	0	1972 AFC Asian Cup
4	1972–1977	Parviz Ghelichkhani	1964–1977	64	12	26	7	1976 AFC Asian Cup
5	1977–1980	Ali Parvin	1970–1980	76	13	31	2	1978 FIFA World Cup
6	1980	Nasser Hejazi	1968–1980	62	0	7	0	1980 AFC Asian Cup
7	1980–1984	Mehdi Dinvarzadeh	1977–1984	26	0	9	0
8	1984–87 1989–91	Mohammad Panjali	1978–1991	45	0	27	0	1984 AFC Asian Cup
9	1987–89 1991–93	Sirous Ghayeghran	1986–1993	43	6	22	3	1988 AFC Asian Cup 1992 AFC Asian Cup
10	1993	Hamid Derakhshan	1980–1993	41	9	12	3
11	1993–1994	Farshad Pious	1984–1994	35	19	4	1
12	1996	Mojtaba Moharrami	1988–1996	37	5	2	0	1996 AFC Asian Cup
13	1996–1998	Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh	1988–1998	73	0	38	0	1998 FIFA World Cup
14	1998–1999	Nader Mohammadkhani	1988–1999	64	4	9	1	1998 FIFA World Cup
15	1999–2000	Javad Zarincheh	1987–2000	80	1	8	0
16	2000–2006	Ali Daei	1993–2006	148	108	80	44	2000 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup
17	2006–2009	Mehdi Mahdavikia	1996–2009	111	13	17	1	2007 AFC Asian Cup
18	2009–2015	Javad Nekounam	2000–2015	149	38	56	18	2011 AFC Asian Cup 2014 FIFA World Cup 2015 AFC Asian Cup
19	2015–2016	Andranik Teymourian	2005–2016	101	9	9	1
20	2016–2019	Masoud Shojaei	2004–2019	87	8	11	0	2018 FIFA World Cup 2019 AFC Asian Cup
21	2019–2024 2026–	Ehsan Hajsafi	2008–	148	7	45	3	2022 FIFA World Cup 2023 AFC Asian Cup 2026 FIFA World Cup
22	2024–2026	Alireza Jahanbakhsh	2013–	101	17	6	0

Competitive Record

This section shows Iran's performance in major football tournaments.

FIFA World Cup

Iran has participated in the FIFA World Cup several times.

FIFA World Cup finals record											FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Not a FIFA member										No qualification
1934											Not a FIFA member
1938
1950	Did not enter										Did not enter
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974	Did not qualify										8	5	1	2	9	6
1978	First group stage	14th	3	0	1	2	2	8	Squad		12	10	2	0	20	3
1982	Withdrew										Withdrew
1986	Disqualified										Disqualified
1990	Did not qualify										6	5	0	1	12	5
1994											11	5	3	3	23	13
1998	Group stage	20th	3	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		17	8	6	3	57	17
2002	Did not qualify										14	9	3	2	36	9
2006	Group stage	25th	3	0	1	2	2	6	Squad		12	9	1	2	29	7
2010	Did not qualify										14	5	8	1	15	9
2014	Group stage	28th	3	0	1	2	1	4	Squad		16	10	4	2	30	7
2018		18th	3	1	1	1	2	2	Squad		18	12	6	0	36	5
2022		26th	3	1	0	2	4	7	Squad		18	14	1	3	49	8
2026		33rd	3	0	3	0	3	3	Squad		16	11	4	1	35	12
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total	First round	7/20	21	3	7	11	16	34	—		162	103	39	20	351	101

Iran's World Cup Record Highlights
First match	Netherlands 3–0 Iran  (June 3, 1978; Mendoza, Argentina)
Biggest win	Wales 0–2 Iran  (November 25, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar)
Biggest defeat	England 6–2 Iran  (November 21, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar)
Fastest Goal	14th minute, Ramin Rezaeian, vs Egypt  (June 26, 2026; Seattle, United States America)
Latest goal	90+13th minute, Mehdi Taremi, vs England  (November 21, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar)

AFC Asian Cup

Iran has a strong history in the AFC Asian Cup.

AFC Asian Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Withdrew										Withdrew
1960	Did not qualify										6	3	1	2	12	10
1964	Withdrew										Withdrew
1968	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	11	2	Squad	Qualified as hosts
1972	Champions	1st	5	5	0	0	12	4	Squad	Qualified as champions
1976	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	13	0	Squad	Qualified as hosts
1980	Third place	3rd	6	3	2	1	16	6	Squad	Qualified as champions
1984	Fourth place	4th	6	2	4	0	8	3	Squad	6	6	0	0	22	2
1988	Third place	3rd	6	2	2	2	3	4	Squad	4	2	2	0	6	1
1992	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	2	1	Squad	2	2	0	0	10	0
1996	Third place	3rd	6	3	2	1	14	6	Squad	6	6	0	0	27	1
2000	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	1	1	7	3	Squad	6	4	1	1	16	2
2004	Third place	3rd	6	3	3	0	14	8	Squad	6	5	0	1	16	5
2007	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	2	0	6	3	Squad	6	4	2	0	12	2
2011	Quarter-finals	7th	4	3	0	1	6	2	Squad	6	4	1	1	11	2
2015	Quarter-finals	6th	4	3	1	0	7	3	Squad	6	5	1	0	18	5
2019	Semi-finals	3rd	6	4	1	1	12	3	Squad	8	6	2	0	26	3
2023	Semi-finals	3rd	6	4	1	1	12	7	Squad	8	6	0	2	34	4
2027	Qualified										6	4	2	0	16	4
Total	3 titles	16/19	74	45	20	9	143	55	—	76	57	12	7	226	41

Iran's AFC Asian Cup Record Highlights
First match	Iran 2–0 Hong Kong  (May 10, 1968; Tehran, Iran)
Biggest win(s)	Iran 8–0 South Yemen  (June 8, 1976; Tehran, Iran)
Biggest defeat(s)	South Korea 3–0 Iran  (December 11, 1988; Doha, Qatar)  Iran 0–3 Japan  (January 28, 2019; Al Ain, UAE)
Best result	Champions in 1968, 1972 and 1976
Worst result	1992 (group stage)

Olympic Games

Iran has competed in the Olympic Games football tournament.

Summer Olympics record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1900	Not an IOC member										No qualification
1904
1908
1912
1920
1924
1928
1936
1948	Did not enter
1952
1956	Withdrew										Withdrew
1960	Did not enter										Did not enter
1964	First round	12th	3	0	1	2	1	6	Squad		6	4	1	1	14	3
1968	Withdrew										Withdrew
1972	First round	12th	3	1	0	2	1	9	Squad		5	3	2	0	6	0
1976	Quarter-finals	7th	3	1	0	2	4	5	Squad		4	3	1	0	8	1
1980	Qualified but later withdrew										6	4	2	0	22	2
1984	Did not enter										Did not enter
1988	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	2
1992–present	See Iran national under-23 team										See Iran national under-23 team
Total	Quarter-finals	4/17	9	2	1	6	6	20	—		23	15	6	2	52	8

Asian Games

Iran has also competed in the Asian Games football tournament.

Asian Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951	Runners-up	2nd	3	2	0	1	2	1	Squad
1954	Did not enter
1958	Preliminary round	14th	2	0	0	2	0	9	Squad
1962	Did not enter
1966	Runners-up	2nd	7	4	0	3	9	6	Squad
1970	Preliminary round	8th	2	0	1	1	2	3	Squad
1974	Champions	1st	7	7	0	0	20	1	Squad
1978	Did not enter
1982	Quarter-finals	8th	4	2	0	2	3	2	Squad
1986	Quarter-finals	6th	5	3	1	1	13	2	Squad
1990	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	7	1	Squad
1994	Preliminary round	9th	4	1	2	1	5	2	Squad
1998	Champions	1st	8	7	0	1	25	7	Squad
2002–present	See Iran national under-23 team
Total	3 titles	10/13	47	30	5	12	86	34	—

WAFF Championship

Iran has won the WAFF Championship multiple times.

WAFF Championship record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2000	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	7	1	Squad
2002	Third place	3rd	4	1	2	1	4	3	Squad
2004	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	17	3	Squad
2007	Champions	1st	4	3	1	0	5	1	Squad
2008	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	13	2	Squad
2010	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	1	1	8	5	Squad
2012	Group stage	6th	3	1	2	0	2	1	Squad
2014	Did not enter
2019–onwards	Not a WAFF member
Total	4 titles	7/8	28	19	7	2	56	16	—

CAFA Nations Cup

Iran has also performed well in the CAFA Nations Cup.

CAFA Nations Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2023	Champions	1st	3	3	0	0	12	2	Squad
2025	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	1	1	8	4	Squad
Total	1 title	2/2	7	5	1	1	20	6	—

RCD Cup/ECO Cup

This tournament is no longer held.

RCD Cup/ECO Cup record (Defunct)
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1965	Champions	1st	2	1	1	0	4	1	Squad
1967	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	0	1	2	1	Squad
1969	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	0	1	4	6	Squad
1970	Champions	1st	2	1	1	0	8	1	Squad
1974	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	0	1	2	2	Squad
1993	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	10	2	Squad
Total	3 titles	6/6	14	9	2	3	30	13	—
Only "A" matches	3 titles	6/6	11	8	1	2	27	10	—

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations

This tournament is also no longer held.

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations record (Defunct)
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1978	Not completed		1	1	0	0	3	0	Squad
1985	Did not qualify
1987
1991	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	0	1	2	2	Squad Squad
1993	Did not qualify
1995
1997
2007
Total	Runners-up	2/8	3	2	0	1	5	2	—

AFC–OFC Challenge Cup

This tournament is also no longer held.

AFC–OFC Challenge Cup record (Defunct)
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2001	Did not qualify
2003	Champions	1st	1	1	0	0	3	0	Squad
Total	1 title	1/2	1	1	0	0	3	0	—

Head-to-head Record

Iran national football team records and statistics

FIFA World Rankings

Iran has often been the highest-ranked team in Asia. They held this position for the longest continuous time between December 2014 and May 2018.

     Best Ranking       Worst Ranking       Best Mover       Worst Mover  

Iran's FIFA World Ranking History
Rank	Year	Games Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Best		Worst
						Rank	Move	Rank	Move
24	2022	11	6	1	4	20	2	24	4
21	2021	11	10	1	0	21	5	31	2
29	2020	2	2	0	0	29	3	33	0
33	2019	12	7	2	3	20	7	33	6
29	2018	15	9	3	3	28	5	37	3
32	2017	11	7	3	1	23	7	43	9
29	2016	10	8	2	0	27	10	44	3
45	2015	15	10	4	1	38	10	51	4
51	2014	10	3	4	3	34	5	56	7
33	2013	9	7	1	1	33	15	67	10
59	2012	14	4	7	3	44	14	59	15
45	2011	15	12	2	1	42	21	65	4
66	2010	12	8	2	2	57	8	67	4
64	2009	21	7	8	6	42	2	64	11
43	2008	21	12	7	2	37	11	51	10
41	2007	13	8	4	1	32	5	47	8
38	2006	15	8	5	2	19	5	47	24
19	2005	11	8	1	2	15	2	21	3
20	2004	18	13	3	2	17	7	31	3
28	2003	11	6	1	4	28	7	47	7
33	2002	10	4	4	2	29	2	34	3
29	2001	20	11	4	5	29	8	51	7
37	2000	26	15	7	4	37	7	53	6
49	1999	6	2	4	0	44	3	51	20
27	1998	18	9	2	7	27	17	47	6
46	1997	22	11	7	4	46	17	87	6
83	1996	21	13	5	3	57	65	122	7
108	1995	0	0	0	0	63	26	108	43
75	1994	4	1	2	1	57	2	75	9
59	1993	15	9	3	3	54	7	59	4

Honours

Iran has won many awards and titles in football.

Intercontinental Titles

• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
  • Runners-up (1): 1991
• AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
  • Champions (1): 2003

Continental Titles

• AFC Asian Cup
  • Champions (3): 1968, 1972, 1976
  • Third place (6): 1980, 1988, 1996, 2004, 2019, 2023
• Asian Games¹
  • Gold medal (4): 1974, 1990, 1998, 2002
  • Silver medal (2): 1951, 1966

Regional Titles

• WAFF Championship
  • Champions (4): 2000, 2004, 2007*, 2008
  • Runners-up (1): 2010
  • Third place (1): 2002
• CAFA Nations Cup
  • Champions (1): 2023
  • Runners-up (1): 2025
• West Asian Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1997
  • Runners-up (1): 2002
  • Third place (1): 2005

Friendly Tournament Wins

• ECO Cup
  • Winners: 1965, 1970, 1993

Runners-up: 1967, 1969, 1974

• LG Cup
  • Winners: 2001, 2002 (Morocco), 2002 (Iran)
  • Third place: 2000
• Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament
  • Winners: 1982
• Iran Friendship Cup
  • Runners-up: 1969
• Cyrus International Tournament
  • Winners: 1971
• Iran International Tournament
  • Winners: 1974
• Fajr International Tournament
  • Runners-up: 1986
• Lunar New Year Cup
  • Runners-up: 2003
  • Third place: 1998
• Ciao February Cup
  • Runners-up: 1999
• Canada Cup
  • Runners-up: 1999
• Civilization Cup
  • Third place: 2001
• Tehran Cup
  • Third place: 2005
• Oman Cup
  • Third place: 2008
• Al Ain International Cup
  • Runners-up: 2025

^** as Malavan

Awards

• AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award: 1996

Summary of Official Honours

This table shows Iran's official titles recognized by FIFA or its confederations.

Competition				Total
AFC Asian Cup	3	0	6	9
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations	0	1	0	1
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup	1	0	0	1
Total	4	1	6	11

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Irán para niños

• Iran national football B team
• Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
• Persian Gulf Pro League
• Iranian football clubs in the AFC Champions League
• Asian Club Championship and AFC Champions League Elite records and statistics
• Football in Iran
• Futsal in Iran
• Iran national futsal team
• Iran national beach soccer team
• Iran national under-23 football team
• Iran national under-20 football team
• Iran national under-17 football team
• Iran women's national football team
• Iran women's national under-20 football team
• Iran women's national under-17 football team
• Iran women's national futsal team
• Tehran XI