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Iran national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's senior team. For the women's senior team, see Iran women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Iran
Nickname(s)
Association Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation CAFA (Central Asia)
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei
Captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh
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 Increase 7 (7 February 2019)
Highest 15 (August 2005)
Lowest 122 (May 1996)
Elo ranking
Current 21 Increase 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest 18 (11 April 2005, 24 January 2019)
Lowest 77 (11 November 1945 ( After World War 2 ))
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 6 (first in 1978)
Best result Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022)
Asian Cup
Appearances 16 (first in 1968)
Best result Champions (1968, 1972, 1976)
Olympic Games
Appearances 3 (first in 1964)
Best result Quarter-finals (1976)
Asian Games
Appearances 10 (first in 1951)
Best result Champions (1974, 1990, 1998)
Medal record
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Gold 1968 Iran Team
Gold 1972 Thailand Team
Gold 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
Gold 1974 Tehran Team
Gold 1990 Beijing Team
Gold 1998 Bangkok Team
Silver 1951 New Delhi Team
Silver 1966 Bangkok Team
WAFF Championship
Gold 2000 Jordan Team
Gold 2004 Iran Team
Gold 2007 Jordan Team
Gold 2008 Iran Team
Silver 2010 Jordan Team
Bronze 2002 Syria Team
CAFA Nations Cup
Gold 2023 Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan Team
RCD Cup/ECO Cup
Gold 1965 Iran Team
Gold 1970 Iran Team
Gold 1993 Iran Team
Silver 1967 Pakistan Team
Silver 1969 Turkey Team
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
Silver 1991 Algeria/Iran Team
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
Gold 2003 Iran Team

The Iran national football team (also known as Team Melli) plays for Iran in international football matches. It is managed by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). FIFA knows them as IR Iran.

Iran has won the AFC Asian Cup three times in a row (1968, 1972, and 1976). They also won the Asian Games three times (1974, 1990, and 1998). Their best result in a global competition was reaching the quarter-finals at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The team has played in the FIFA World Cup six times (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2022). They have not yet gone past the group stage. However, they have won three World Cup matches: against the United States in 1998, Morocco in 2018, and Wales in 2022. Iran has also won four WAFF Championships and one CAFA Nations Cup. In 2003, they won the intercontinental AFC–OFC Challenge Cup.

History of Iran's National Football Team

How it all began

The Iranian Football Federation started in 1920. In 1926, a team of selected players from Tehran traveled to Baku in the USSR. This was the first time an Iranian football team played a match outside Iran. This Tehran team was the start of Iran's national football team.

Team Melli played its first official match on August 23, 1941. They won 1–0 against British India in Kabul. Iran's first FIFA international match was two days later, on August 25, 1941, against Afghanistan. Iran won the Asian Cup three times in a row in 1968, 1972, and 1976. They have not won it since.

Antal Dunai vs Parviz Ghelichkhani 1972
Dunai and Ghelichkhani at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

In 1978, Iran played in the World Cup for the first time. They qualified after beating Australia in Tehran. In the World Cup, Iran lost two of their three group matches against the Netherlands and Peru. But Team Melli surprised many by getting a draw against Scotland. Iraj Danaeifard scored to make it 1–1.

Football after the Iranian Revolution

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, football was not as important for a while. In the 1980s, Iran's national team did not play in World Cup competitions because of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88). The team pulled out of the qualifiers for the 1982 World Cup. They also refused to play in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers because they had to play in neutral countries.

The war and political changes meant Iran did not have big club football competitions until 1989. Despite not qualifying for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, many talented players emerged. This helped the team achieve third place in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. They had big wins, like 3–0 against Saudi Arabia and 6–2 against South Korea. This set the stage for their second World Cup appearance in 1998.

World Cup 1998 to 2006

In November 1997, Iran qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They beat Australia in a close playoff. The score was 3–3 overall, but Iran won because of the away goals rule. They drew 1–1 at home and 2–2 in Melbourne.

In their first game at the 1998 World Cup, Iran lost 1–0 to Yugoslavia. Iran then got their first World Cup win by beating the United States 2–1. Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scored for Iran. This match was special because of the political history between the two countries. But before the game, both teams exchanged gifts and flowers. They took pictures together, showing that sports can bring people together.

Iran played Germany in their third game and lost 2–0. They finished third in their group.

Iran finished first in their group at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. But they lost to South Korea in the quarter-finals. They did not qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Asia for the first time. They lost to the Republic of Ireland overall. After this, coach Miroslav Blažević stepped down. His assistant, Branko Ivanković, took over.

Iran qualified for the Asian Cup 2004. They were in a group with Thailand, Oman, and Japan. Iran finished second in the group. In the quarter-finals, they beat South Korea 4–3. They then lost to host China in a penalty shootout. Iran finished third after beating Bahrain 4–2.

Iran equaliser
Iran scores against Angola during a 2006 FIFA World Cup match.

On June 8, 2005, Iran and Japan were the first teams to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, besides the host country Germany.

The Iran-Japan qualifier in Tehran on March 24, 2005, had the most fans of any qualifying match. Sadly, five fans died and several were hurt when leaving the Azadi Stadium after the game.

Iran started their 2006 World Cup journey against Mexico. They lost 3–1 due to defensive mistakes. Yahya Golmohammadi scored Iran's only goal.

Iran then lost 2–0 to Portugal. Goals were scored by Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo. Iran was out of the competition before their last game against Angola, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

Temporary Suspension from FIFA

In November 2006, FIFA stopped Iran from playing in international football. This was because FIFA felt the government was interfering too much in the national football association. The ban lasted less than a month. A special permission was given for the Iran under-23 team to play in the 2006 Asian Games. So, their matches were not affected.

From 2007 to 2014

Amir Ghalenoei became Iran's manager in July 2006. Iran finished first in their 2007 Asian Cup qualifying group. They also finished first in the group stage of the main tournament in Malaysia. But they lost to South Korea in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. His contract was not renewed.

Ali Daei, who had scored the most international goals, became the new manager. Iran was in a group with Kuwait, Syria, and United Arab Emirates for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Ali Daei resigned in March 2009. Afshin Ghotbi took over. Iran did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

During a 2010 World Cup qualifier against South Korea in June 2009, some Iranian players wore green wristbands. This was seen as a sign of support for protests happening in Iran. There were rumors that these players were banned from football for life. However, the Iranian Football Federation said these were just rumors. They stated that no player was punished.

Iran-Maldavies
Iran's squad in July 2011 against Maldives. Manager: Carlos Queiroz. Standing left to right: Aghili, Hosseini, Haddadifar, Ansarifard, Zare, Pooladi; sitting left to right: Heydari, Norouzi, Rahmati, Khalatbari, Karimi.

Afshin Ghotbi helped Iran qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup. Iran won all three of their group stage matches in the Asian Cup. But they were knocked out again in the quarter-finals by South Korea after extra time.

On April 4, 2011, Carlos Queiroz, a former Real Madrid manager, agreed to coach the Iranian national team until the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Under Queiroz, Iran started their World Cup qualification well. They beat the Maldives 4–0 in their first game. Iran then moved to the next round of qualifiers.

Iran showed their strength by beating Bahrain 6–0 at home in the Azadi Stadium. They also added new players from other countries, like Ashkan Dejagah, who scored twice in his first game against Qatar. Iran qualified for the final round of qualifiers. In this round, Iran played South Korea, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Lebanon. Queiroz brought in more players from outside Iran, like Reza Ghoochannejhad.

Iran began the fourth round of Asian qualifiers with a 1–0 win in Uzbekistan. Team Melli then drew with Qatar and lost to Lebanon. But they beat South Korea 1–0 at Azadi Stadium. After a 1–0 loss to Uzbekistan, Iran beat Qatar 1–0 and Lebanon 4–0 at home. In their last qualification match, Iran beat South Korea 1–0. This win secured their spot in Brazil as group winners. Iran also qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup later that year.

Carlos Queiroz brought many players with Iranian backgrounds from other countries into the national team. These players included Daniel Davari and Ashkan Dejagah from Germany, Reza Ghoochannejhad from the Netherlands, Omid Nazari and Saman Ghoddos from Sweden, and Steven Beitashour from the United States.

Iran vs. Argentina match, 2014 FIFA World Cup 15
Iran vs. Argentina, 2014 World Cup.

Iran played in Group F with Argentina, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In their first match on June 16, Iran drew 0–0 with Nigeria. This was their first clean sheet (no goals conceded) in a World Cup. In their next game, Iran lost 1–0 to Argentina after a late goal from Lionel Messi. Iran was praised for holding Argentina for most of the game and creating their own chances. Iran was eliminated after losing 3–1 to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Reza Ghoochannejhad scored Iran's only goal. After the tournament, Queiroz decided to stay as manager until the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Late 2010s Football

Iran qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup as group winners. They were the highest-ranked team. Iran played Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE. Iran beat Bahrain 2–0. They then beat Qatar 1–0 with a goal from Sardar Azmoun. They also beat UAE 1–0 to finish first in their group. In the quarter-finals, Iran faced Iraq. Iran played with ten men for much of the game after a player received a red card. They managed to draw 3–3 in extra time. But Iran lost 7–6 in the penalty shootout.

Portugal and Iran match at the FIFA World Cup 2018 1
Iran's squad against Portugal in Mordovia Arena at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Iran started their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification with friendly matches against Chile and Sweden. Carlos Queiroz stayed as manager. Iran became the second team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after beating Uzbekistan 2–0 at home in June 2017. They also finished first in their qualification group.

Iran won their first match at the World Cup against Morocco 1–0. They then lost to Spain 1–0. The third match against Portugal ended in a 1–1 draw. Iran was eliminated from the tournament. However, Iran earned four points, which is their best World Cup performance ever.

China-Iran 2019 AFC Asian Cup by Mehdi Zare 1
Iran's squad against China at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
IRN-VIETNAM 20190112 Asian Cup 18
Azmoun and Taremi played a key role in the front line of the team in these years.

Iran qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. They were in a group with Iraq, Vietnam, and Yemen. Iran started by beating Yemen 5–0. A 2–0 win over Vietnam meant Iran qualified for the knockout stage. They finished first in their group after a 0–0 draw with Iraq. In the next round, Iran played Oman. Iran won 2–0. In the quarter-finals, Iran beat China 3–0. They then played Japan in the semi-finals. Iran lost 3–0 and missed the chance to reach the final.

Early 2020s Football

2022 FIFA World Cup England 6–2 Iran - (7)
Iran's squad against England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Iran was the highest-ranked team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. They were in a group with Iraq, Bahrain, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. Under new manager Marc Wilmots, Iran started with a 2–0 win over Hong Kong. After a 14–0 win over Cambodia, some Iranian women were allowed to enter the stadium. This was the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Their next games against Bahrain and Iraq were losses. Marc Wilmots was then replaced.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, the remaining matches were played without fans. Iran played their games in Bahrain under new coach Dragan Skočić. Iran made a comeback and finished first in their group. They qualified for the final phase of the World Cup qualifiers.

Iran became the thirteenth team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a 1–0 win over Iraq in January 2022. In March 2022, Iranian women were again stopped from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier. A friendly match against Canada in June 2022 was canceled due to disagreements.

At the start of the World Cup in Qatar, Iran was the highest-ranked team from Asia. In their opening game, Iran lost 6–2 to England. This was their biggest loss in World Cup history. The Iranian team did not sing their national anthem in this match. This was seen as a sign of support for protests happening in Iran. Some Iranian fans cheered against their own team.

In the next match against Wales, the Iranian players sang the national anthem. They then defeated Wales 2–0. This was their first win against a European country at the World Cup. Some fans supporting the protests had their flags and banners taken away by security.

Before Iran's final group match against the United States, the Iranian players sang the national anthem again. They lost to the United States 1–0 and were knocked out of the tournament. Some Iranians celebrated the defeat.

Iran was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup by hosts Qatar.

Team Identity

Nicknames for the Team

The Iranian national team has many nicknames. The most common one is "Team Melli" (تیم ملی), which means "The National Team" in Persian. Other nicknames include "Persian Stars" (used since the 2006 World Cup), "Shiran e Iran" (meaning "The Iranian Lions"), "Lion Hearts," and "Princes of Persia." Iran's slogan for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was Honour of Persia. This was chosen by fans in an online poll by FIFA. A newer nickname is Youzpalangan, meaning "The Cheetahs." This is because the Asiatic cheetah was on their 2014 World Cup jersey. The team's mascot, "Yupa," is also a cheetah.

Team 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 Over Time

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

Team Sponsorships

On February 1, 2014, Iran announced that the endangered Asiatic cheetah would be on their 2014 FIFA World Cup kits. This was to help raise awareness for cheetah conservation.

Team Rivalries

Iran and Iraq are close neighbors and have a long history. Matches between them are always very exciting. The rivalry grew after Iraq beat Iran in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in a controversial game. Iran has won more games against Iraq.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are also rivals. Their games are always competitive. The first match was in 1975, with Iran winning 3–0. Iran has won more games against Saudi Arabia.

Since Iran joined the Central Asian Football Association in 2015, Uzbekistan has become a big rival, especially in World Cup qualifiers.

Outside of the Middle East and Central Asia, Iran also has strong rivalries with East Asian teams like South Korea and Japan. Australia also became a rival when they joined the AFC in 2006.

Home Stadiums

Azadi Stadium 1991
Azadi Stadium, 1991.

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

Since 1979, Iranian women have often been restricted from entering stadiums. However, FIFA has spoken out against this. In October 2019, some Iranian women were allowed to attend a match against Cambodia. But in March 2022, women were again stopped from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier.

Before 1972, Amjadieh Stadium was Iran's national stadium. Other stadiums where Iran has played international games include Bagh Shomal and Yadegar Emam Stadium in Tabriz, Takhti Stadium in Tehran, Enghelab Stadium in Karaj, Hafezieh Stadium in Shiraz, and Takhti Stadium and Imam Reza Stadium in Mashhad.

The Iran National Football Camp is where the team trains.

Recent Matches and Future Games

Iran national football team opponents
All opponents that the Iran football team has played at least once.

Here are the results of Iran's matches in the last 12 months, and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

2025 Upcoming Matches

  • FIFA International match days 2020–2024

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head Coach Iran Amir Ghalenoei
Assistant Coach(es) Iran Hamid Motahari
Iran Rahman Rezaei
Iran Andranik Teymourian
Italy Antonio Manicone
Goalkeeping Coach Romania Alin Dinca
Fitness Coach Iran Ali Asghar Ghorbanalipour
Physiotherapist Iran Alireza Shahab
Team Doctor Iran Parhan Khanlari
Masseurs Iran Amir Esmaeili
Iran Hadi Nejatpour
Team Supervisor Iran Mehdi Kharati
Team Management Iran Mahdi Mohammadnabi

Players on the Team

Current Squad Members

These players have been called to train for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in November 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Kyrgyzstan.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alireza Beiranvand (1992-09-21) 21 September 1992 (age 32) 77 0 Iran Tractor
12 1GK Payam Niazmand (1995-04-06) 6 April 1995 (age 30) 9 0 Iran Sepahan
22 1GK Mohammad Reza Akhbari (1993-02-15) 15 February 1993 (age 32) 1 0 Iran Gol Gohar
2 2DF Saleh Hardani (1998-12-26) 26 December 1998 (age 26) 10 1 Iran Sepahan
4 2DF Amin Hazbavi (2003-05-06) 6 May 2003 (age 22) 3 0 Iran Sepahan
5 2DF Milad Mohammadi (1993-09-29) 29 September 1993 (age 31) 67 1 Iran Persepolis
13 2DF Hossein Kanaanizadegan (1994-03-23) 23 March 1994 (age 31) 57 6 Iran Persepolis
14 2DF Ali Nemati (1996-02-07) 7 February 1996 (age 29) 4 0 Iran Foolad
21 2DF Omid Noorafkan (1997-04-09) 9 April 1997 (age 28) 28 1 Iran Malavan
23 2DF Aria Yousefi (2002-04-22) 22 April 2002 (age 23) 5 0 Iran Sepahan
3 3MF Mohammad Ghorbani (2001-05-21) 21 May 2001 (age 24) 7 0 Russia Orenburg
6 3MF Saeid Ezatolahi (1996-10-01) 1 October 1996 (age 28) 74 1 United Arab Emirates Shabab Al Ahli
8 3MF Mohammad Mohebi (1998-12-20) 20 December 1998 (age 26) 27 10 Russia Rostov
10 3MF Mehdi Ghayedi (1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 26) 25 9 United Arab Emirates Ittihad Kalba
11 3MF Ali Gholizadeh (1996-03-10) 10 March 1996 (age 29) 40 6 Poland Lech Poznań
15 3MF Rouzbeh Cheshmi (1993-07-24) 24 July 1993 (age 31) 35 3 Iran Esteghlal
16 3MF Mohammad Javad Hosseinnejad (2003-06-26) 26 June 2003 (age 22) 3 0 Russia Dynamo Makhachkala
17 3MF Mohammad Karimi (1996-06-20) 20 June 1996 (age 29) 7 0 Iran Sepahan
7 4FW Saeid Saharkhizan (2003-06-26) 26 June 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Russia Orenburg
9 4FW Mehdi Taremi (1992-07-18) 18 July 1992 (age 32) 91 52 Italy Inter Milan
18 4FW Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (2000-10-30) 30 October 2000 (age 24) 4 0 Iran Tractor
19 4FW Shahriyar Moghanlou (1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 (age 30) 14 2 United Arab Emirates Ittihad Kalba
20 4FW Sardar Azmoun (1995-01-01) 1 January 1995 (age 30) 89 56 United Arab Emirates Shabab Al Ahli

Recent Call-Ups

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


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Hossein Hosseini (1992-06-30) 30 June 1992 (age 33) 11 0 Iran Esteghlal v.  North Korea, 14 November 2024
GK Arsha Shakouri (2006-10-01) 1 October 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Iran Havadar v.  United Arab Emirates, 10 September 2024
GK Hossein Pour Hamidi (1998-03-26) 26 March 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Iran Tractor v.  Uzbekistan, 11 June 2024
DF Shojae Khalilzadeh (1989-05-14) 14 May 1989 (age 36) 47 2 Iran Tractor v.  North Korea, 14 November 2024
DF Mehdi Zare (2003-01-25) 25 January 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Iran Gol Gohar v.  North Korea, 14 November 2024
DF Mohammad Daneshgar (1994-01-24) 24 January 1994 (age 31) 2 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Qatar, 15 October 2024
DF Abolfazl Jalali (1998-06-26) 26 June 1998 (age 27) 6 0 Iran Esteghlal v.  Uzbekistan, 10 October 2024
DF Aref Gholami (1997-04-19) 19 April 1997 (age 28) 1 0 Iran Tractor v.  Uzbekistan, 11 June 2024
DF Ramin Rezaeian (1990-03-21) 21 March 1990 (age 35) 65 6 Iran Esteghlal v.  Turkmenistan, 26 March 2024
DF Saman Fallah (2001-05-12) 12 May 2001 (age 24) 4 0 Iran Esteghlal v.  Turkmenistan, 26 March 2024
DF Hossein Goudarzi (2001-05-03) 3 May 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Turkmenistan, 26 March 2024
DF Ehsan Hajsafi (1990-02-25) 25 February 1990 (age 35) 142 7 Greece AEK Athens v.  Qatar, 7 February 2024
DF Sadegh Moharrami INJ (1996-03-01) 1 March 1996 (age 29) 30 1 Croatia Dinamo Zagreb v.  Qatar, 7 February 2024
DF Majid Hosseini INJ (1996-06-20) 20 June 1996 (age 29) 28 0 Turkey Kayserispor v.  Qatar, 7 February 2024
MF Alireza Jahanbakhsh (1993-08-11) 11 August 1993 (age 31) 89 17 Netherlands Heerenveen v.  North Korea, 14 November 2024
MF Saman Ghoddos (1993-09-06) 6 September 1993 (age 31) 55 3 United Arab Emirates Ittihad Kalba v.  North Korea, 14 November 2024
MF Mehdi Torabi (1994-09-10) 10 September 1994 (age 30) 51 7 Iran Tractor v.  Qatar, 15 October 2024
MF Saeid Mehri (1998-02-09) 9 February 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Iran Persepolis v.  Uzbekistan, 11 June 2024
MF Omid Ebrahimi RET (1987-09-15) 15 September 1987 (age 37) 64 1 Qatar Al-Shamal v.  Qatar, 7 February 2024
FW Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (2001-06-29) 29 June 2001 (age 24) 8 1 Belgium Westerlo v.  United Arab Emirates, 10 September 2024
FW Javad Aghaeipour (1999-12-06) 6 December 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Iran Sepahan v.  United Arab Emirates, 10 September 2024
FW Mehdi Limouchi (1999-11-23) 23 November 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Uzbekistan, 11 June 2024
FW Karim Ansarifard (1990-04-03) 3 April 1990 (age 35) 104 30 Free agent v.  Qatar, 7 February 2024
FW Reza Asadi (1996-01-17) 17 January 1996 (age 29) 10 1 Iran Sepahan v.  Qatar, 7 February 2024

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.
COV Injured because of COVID-19

Player Records and Statistics

These statistics include only official matches recognized by FIFA. Players in bold are still active with the Iran national team.

Most Games Played

Iran vs. Montenegro 2014-05-26 (040)
Javad Nekounam has played the most games for Iran, with 149 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Javad Nekounam 149 39 2000–2015
2 Ali Daei 148 108 1993–2006
3 Ehsan Hajsafi 142 7 2008–2024
4 Ali Karimi 127 38 1998–2012
5 Jalal Hosseini 115 8 2007–2018
6 Mehdi Mahdavikia 110 13 1996–2009
7 Karim Ansarifard 104 30 2009–2024
8 Andranik Teymourian 101 9 2005–2016
9 Mehdi Taremi 91 52 2015–present
10 Sardar Azmoun 89 56 2014–present
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 89 17 2013–present

Top Goal Scorers

Ali Daei, Saipa vs. Al-Rayyan pre-match conference
Ali Daei is the second-highest goalscorer in international men's football, with 108 goals in 148 matches.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ali Daei (list) 108 148 0.73 1993–2006
2 Sardar Azmoun 56 89 0.63 2014–present
3 Mehdi Taremi 52 91 0.57 2015–present
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 89 0.19 2013–present

Most Capped Goalkeepers

Ahmadreza Abedzadeh 20170303 04
Ahmadreza Abedzadeh is the most capped goalkeeper for Iran, with 79 games played.
Rank Player Caps Career
1 Alireza Beiranvand 77 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 Aziz Asli 28 1962–1968
Behzad Gholampour 1990–1999
8 Alireza Haghighi 24 2012–2018
9 Mansour Rashidi 20 1972–1985
Parviz Boroumand 1998–2001

Team Captains Over Time

# 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 78 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 Ehsan Hajsafi 2008–2024 142 7 43 3 2022 FIFA World Cup
2023 AFC Asian Cup
22 2024– Alireza Jahanbakhsh 2013– 89 17 5 0

Team Performance in Major Competitions

FIFA World Cup Records

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s) Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member No qualification
Italy 1934 Not a FIFA member
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 8 5 1 2 9 6
Argentina 1978 First round 14th 3 0 1 2 2 8 Squad Mohajerani 12 10 2 0 20 3
Spain 1982 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1986 Disqualified Disqualified
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 6 5 0 1 12 5
United States 1994 11 5 3 3 23 13
France 1998 Group stage 20th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad Talebi 17 8 6 3 57 17
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 14 9 3 2 36 9
Germany 2006 Group stage 25th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad Ivanković 12 9 1 2 29 7
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 14 5 8 1 15 9
Brazil 2014 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad Queiroz 16 10 4 2 30 7
Russia 2018 Group stage 18th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad Queiroz 18 12 6 0 36 5
Qatar 2022 Group stage 26th 3 1 0 2 4 7 Squad Queiroz 18 14 1 3 49 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 12 9 3 0 28 9
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total First round 6/22 18 3 4 11 13 31 — — 158 101 38 19 344 98

Olympic Games Football Records

Summer Olympics record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s) Pld W D L GF GA
France 1900 Not an IOC member No qualification
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Germany 1936
United Kingdom 1948 Did not enter
Finland 1952
Australia 1956 Withdrew Withdrew
Italy 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
Japan 1964 First round 12th 3 0 1 2 1 6 Squad Fekri 6 4 1 1 14 3
Mexico 1968 Withdrew Withdrew
West Germany 1972 First round 12th 3 1 0 2 1 9 Squad Bayati 5 3 2 0 6 0
Canada 1976 Quarter-finals 7th 3 1 0 2 4 5 Squad Mohajerani 4 3 1 0 8 1
Soviet Union 1980 Qualified but later boycotted the event 6 4 2 0 22 2
United States 1984 Boycotted the event Did not enter
South Korea 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

AFC Asian Cup Records

AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s) Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Withdrew Withdrew
South Korea 1960 Did not qualify 6 3 1 2 12 10
Israel 1964 Withdrew Withdrew
Iran 1968 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 11 2 Squad Bayati Qualified as hosts
Thailand 1972 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 12 4 Squad Ranjbar Qualified as champions
Iran 1976 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 13 0 Squad Mohajerani Qualified as hosts
Kuwait 1980 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 16 6 Squad Habibi Qualified as champions
Singapore 1984 Fourth place 4th 6 2 4 0 8 3 Squad Ebrahimi 6 6 0 0 22 2
Qatar 1988 Third place 3rd 6 2 2 2 3 4 Squad Dehdari 4 2 2 0 6 1
Japan 1992 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 2 1 Squad Parvin 2 2 0 0 10 0
United Arab Emirates 1996 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 14 6 Squad Mayelikohan 6 6 0 0 27 1
Lebanon 2000 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 7 3 Squad Talebi 6 4 1 1 16 2
China 2004 Third place 3rd 6 3 3 0 14 8 Squad Ivanković 6 5 0 1 16 5
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 2 0 6 3 Squad Ghalenoei 6 4 2 0 12 2
Qatar 2011 Quarter-finals 7th 4 3 0 1 6 2 Squad Ghotbi 6 4 1 1 11 2
Australia 2015 Quarter-finals 6th 4 3 1 0 7 3 Squad Queiroz 6 5 1 0 18 5
United Arab Emirates 2019 Semi-finals 3rd 6 4 1 1 12 3 Squad Queiroz 8 6 2 0 26 3
Qatar 2023 Semi-finals 3rd 6 4 1 1 12 7 Squad Ghalenoei 8 6 0 2 34 4
Saudi Arabia 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

Asian Games Football Records

Asian Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s)
India 1951 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 5 3 Squad Sadaghiani
Philippines 1954 Did not enter
Japan 1958 Preliminary round 14th 2 0 0 2 0 9 Squad Mészáros
Indonesia 1962 Did not enter
Thailand 1966 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 0 3 9 6 Squad Szűcs
Thailand 1970 Preliminary round 8th 2 0 1 1 2 3 Squad Netto
Iran 1974 Champions 1st 7 7 0 0 20 1 Squad O'Farrell
Thailand 1978 Did not enter
India 1982 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 0 2 3 2 Squad Cheraghpour
South Korea 1986 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 13 2 Squad Dehdari
China 1990 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 7 1 Squad Parvin
Japan 1994 Preliminary round 9th 4 1 2 1 5 2 Squad Poklepović
Thailand 1998 Champions 1st 8 7 0 1 25 7 Squad Pourheidari
2002–present See Iran national under-23 team
Total 3 titles 10/13 47 30 5 12 89 36 — —

WAFF Championship Records

WAFF Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s)
Jordan 2000 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 7 1 Squad Talebi
Syria 2002 Third place 3rd 4 1 2 1 4 3 Squad Ivanković
Iran 2004 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 17 3 Squad Ivanković
Jordan 2007 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 5 1 Squad Mazloumi
Iran 2008 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 13 2 Squad Daei
Jordan 2010 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 8 5 Squad Ghotbi
Kuwait 2012 Group stage 6th 3 1 2 0 2 1 Squad Queiroz
Qatar 2014 Did not enter
2019–onwards Not a WAFF member
Total 4 titles 7/9 28 19 7 2 56 16 — —

CAFA Nations Cup Records

CAFA Nations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s)
Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan 2023 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 12 2 Squad Ghalenoei
Total 1 title 1/1 3 3 0 0 12 2 — —

RCD Cup/ECO Cup Records (No Longer Held)

RCD Cup/ECO Cup record (Defunct)
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s)
Iran 1965 Champions 1st 2 1 1 0 4 1 Squad Fekri
Pakistan 1967 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 2 1 Squad Fekri
Turkey 1969 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 4 6 Squad Rajkov
Iran 1970 Champions 1st 2 1 1 0 8 1 Squad Bayati
Pakistan 1974 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 2 2 Squad Salehnia
Iran 1993 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 10 2 Squad Parvin
Total 3 titles 6/6 14 9 2 3 30 13 — —
Only "A" matches 3 titles 5/6 11 8 1 2 27 10 — —

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Records (No Longer Held)

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations record (Defunct)
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Manager(s)
Ghana Iran 1978 Not completed 1 1 0 0 3 0 Squad Yavari
Cameroon Saudi Arabia 1985 Did not qualify
Qatar 1987
Algeria Iran 1991 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 2 2 Squad/Squad Parvin
Japan 1993 Did not qualify
Nigeria Uzbekistan 1995
Saudi Arabia South Africa 1997
Japan 2007
Total Runners-up 2/8 3 2 0 1 5 2 — —

AFC–OFC Challenge Cup Records (No Longer Held)

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

Head-to-Head Records Against Other Teams

Last match updated: against Kyrgyzstan on November 19, 2024.

Team M W D L GF GA GD Win percentage Confederation Best win Worst loss
 Afghanistan 3 2 1 0 10 1 +9 66.67% AFC 6–1 X
 Albania 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% UEFA X 0–1
 Algeria 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 50% CAF 2–1 1–2
 Angola 4 2 2 0 7 2 +5 50% CAF 4–0 X
 Argentina 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 0% CONMEBOL X 0–1
 Armenia 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100% UEFA 3–1 X
 Australia 6 3 2 1 7 6 +1 50% AFC / OFC 2–0 0–3
 Austria 1 0 0 1 1 5 −4 0% UEFA X 1–5
 Azerbaijan 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 66.67% UEFA 2–1 X
 Bahrain 18 8 5 5 32 13 +19 44.44% AFC 6–0 2–4
 Bangladesh 6 6 0 0 28 1 +27 100% AFC 6–0 X
 Belarus 3 0 2 1 3 4 −1 0% UEFA X 1–2
 Bolivia 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% CONMEBOL 2–1 X
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 7 5 1 1 19 10 +9 71.43% UEFA 4–0 1–3
 Botswana 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% CAF X X
 Brazil 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 33.33% CONMEBOL X 0–3
 Bulgaria 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50% UEFA 1–0 X
 Burkina Faso 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% CAF 2–1 X
 Cambodia 4 4 0 0 28 1 +27 100% AFC 14–0 X
 Cameroon 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 0% CAF X X
 Canada 3 2 0 1 2 1 +1 66.67% CONCACAF 1–0 0–1
 Chile 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 33.33% CONMEBOL 2–0 1–2
 China 23 13 6 4 39 18 +21 56.52% AFC 4–0 0–2
 Chinese Taipei 5 5 0 0 22 0 +22 100% AFC 6–0 X
 Costa Rica 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 50% CONCACAF 3–2 X
 Croatia 2 0 1 1 2 4 −2 0% UEFA X 0–2
 Cyprus 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% UEFA X X
 Czech Republic 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% UEFA X 0–1
 Denmark 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% UEFA X X
 Ecuador 3 0 2 1 2 3 −1 0% CONMEBOL X 0–1
 Egypt 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% CAF X X
 England 1 0 0 1 2 6 −4 0% UEFA X 2–6
 France 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 0% UEFA X 1–2
 Georgia 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% UEFA 2–1 X
 Germany 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 0% UEFA X 0–2
 Ghana 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 100% CAF 3–0 X
 Guam 3 3 0 0 31 0 +31 100% AFC 19–0 X
 Guatemala 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0% CONCACAF X X
 Guinea 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 0% CAF X 1–2
 Hong Kong 9 9 0 0 23 3 +20 100% AFC 4–0 X
 Hungary 3 0 0 3 1 6 −5 0% UEFA X 0–2
 Iceland 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% UEFA 1–0 X
 India 8 5 1 2 17 6 +11 62.5% AFC 4–0 1–3
 Indonesia 6 5 1 0 16 3 +13 83.33% AFC 5–0 X
 Iraq 28 16 6 6 37 21 +16 57.14% AFC 3–0 1–2
 Republic of Ireland 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2 33.33% UEFA 1–0 0–2
 Israel 5 3 1 1 7 6 +1 60% UEFA / AFC 3–0 0–4
 Jamaica 2 2 0 0 9 1 +8 100% CONCACAF 8–1 X
 Japan 19 7 6 6 21 22 −1 36.84% AFC 2–0 0–3
 Jordan 14 7 3 4 18 11 +7 50% AFC 4–1 2–3
 Kazakhstan 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 100% UEFA / AFC 3–0 X
 Kenya 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 100% CAF 3–0 X
 North Korea 19 15 4 0 31 9 +22 78.95% AFC 3–0 X
 South Korea 33 13 10 10 34 36 −2 39.39% AFC 6–2 0–5
 Kuwait 30 13 10 7 39 31 +8 43.33% AFC 3–1 0–3
 Kyrgyzstan 6 6 0 0 25 4 +21 100% AFC 7–0 X
 Laos 3 3 0 0 20 1 +19 100% AFC 7–0 X
 Lebanon 12 10 1 1 31 3 +28 83.33% AFC 5–0 0–1
 Libya 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 100% CAF 4–0 X
 Lithuania 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% UEFA 1–0 X
 Macedonia 3 2 1 0 7 3 +4 66.67% UEFA 3–1 X
 Madagascar 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CAF 1–0 X
 Malaysia 4 4 0 0 8 0 +8 100% AFC 3–0 X
 Maldives 6 6 0 0 42 0 +42 100% AFC 17–0 X
 Mali 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 0% CAF X 1–2
 Mexico 3 0 0 3 2 9 −7 0% CONCACAF X 0–4
 Montenegro 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50% UEFA 2–1 X
 Morocco 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CAF 1–0 X
 Myanmar 5 3 0 2 7 4 +3 60% AFC 3–1 0–1
   Nepal 5 5 0 0 25 0 +25 100% AFC 8–0 X
 Netherlands 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 0% UEFA X 0–3
 New Zealand 2 1 1 0 3 0 +3 50% OFC 3–0 X
 Nicaragua 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CONCACAF 1–0 X
 Nigeria 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 0% CAF X 0–1
 Oman 13 7 4 2 26 15 +11 53.85% AFC 4–0 2–4
 Pakistan 14 12 1 1 58 10 +48 85.71% AFC 9–1 1–4
 [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] 6 4 2 0 18 3 +15 66.67% AFC 7–0 X
 Panama 2 2 0 0 3 1 +2 100% CONCACAF 2–1 X
 Papua New Guinea 1 1 0 0 8 1 +7 100% OFC 8–1 X
 Paraguay 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% CONMEBOL X X
 Peru 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 0% CONMEBOL X 1–4
 Philippines 1 1 0 0 7 1 +6 100% AFC 7–1 X
 Poland 2 0 0 2 0 3 −3 0% UEFA X 0–2
 Portugal 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 0% UEFA X 0–3
 Qatar 26 17 5 4 47 20 +27 65.38% AFC 6–1 0–2
 Romania 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 0% UEFA X X
 Russia 5 1 2 2 3 5 −2 20% UEFA 1–0 0–2
 Saudi Arabia 14 4 6 4 19 13 +6 28.57% AFC 3–0 3–4
 Scotland 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% UEFA X X
 Senegal 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 0% CAF X X
 Serbia 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 0% UEFA X 1–3
 Sierra Leone 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 100% CAF 4–0 X
 Singapore 3 2 1 0 10 2 +8 66.67% AFC 6–0 X
 Slovakia 2 1 0 1 6 6 0 50% UEFA 4–3 2–3
 Spain 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% UEFA X 0–1
 Sri Lanka 2 2 0 0 11 0 +11 100% AFC 7–0 X
 Sweden 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 0% UEFA X 1–3
 Syria 31 18 12 1 53 16 +37 58.06% AFC 7–1 0–1
 Tajikistan 4 4 0 0 14 1 +13 100% AFC 6–1 X
 Thailand 14 11 3 0 32 5 +27 78.57% AFC 5–0 X
 Togo 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 100% CAF 2–0 X
 Trinidad and Tobago 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 100% CONCACAF 2–0 X
 Tunisia 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 0% CAF X 0–1
 Turkey 6 0 2 4 2 13 −11 0% UEFA X 1–6
 Turkmenistan 10 5 3 2 16 8 +8 50% AFC 5–0 0–1
 Uganda 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0% CAF X X
 Ukraine 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% UEFA 1–0 X
 United Arab Emirates 20 16 3 1 29 5 +24 80% AFC 3–0 1–3
 United States 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 33.33% CONCACAF 2–1 0–1
 Uruguay 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50% CONMEBOL 1–0 X
 Uzbekistan 15 10 4 1 18 5 +13 66.67% AFC 4–0 0–1
 Venezuela 3 2 1 0 3 1 +2 66.67% CONMEBOL 1–0 X
 Vietnam 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100% AFC 2–0 X
 Wales 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 50% UEFA 2–0 0–1
 Yemen 3 3 0 0 11 1 +10 100% AFC 5–0 X
 South Yemen 3 3 0 0 12 0 +12 100% AFC 8–0 X
 Zambia 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 100% CAF 3–2 X
Total (117) 607 351 143 113 1168 475 +693 57.83% – – –

FIFA World Rankings for Iran

Iran FIFA Ranking
FIFA World Rankings for Iran, August 1993 – March 2018.

Between December 2014 and May 2018, Iran was the highest-ranked team in Asia. This was the longest time any team has held that position.

  • Highest FIFA ranking: 15th (July 2005)
  • Lowest FIFA ranking: 122nd (May 1996)
  • Best jump in ranking: +65 spots (July 1996)
  • Worst drop in ranking: –43 spots (October 1995)

Last update was on January 1, 2022.

     Best Ranking       Worst Ranking       Best Mover       Worst Mover  

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

Team Achievements and Honors

Major Competitions Won

Intercontinental Titles

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

Continental Titles

  • Coppa Asia.svg Champions (3): 1968, 1972, 1976
  • Bronze medal asia.svg Third place (6): 1980, 1988, 1996, 2004, 2019, 2023
  • Fourth place:1984
  • Fair play award: 1996
  • Asian Games
  • Gold medal asia.svg Gold medal (3): 1974, 1990, 1998
  • Silver medal asia.svg Silver medal (2): 1951, 1966

Regional Titles

  • WAFF Championship
  • 1 Champions (4): 2000, 2004, 2007*, 2008
  • 2 Runners-up (1): 2010
  • 3 Third place (1): 2002
  • CAFA Championship
  • 1 Champions (1): 2023

* as B Team

Friendly Competition Wins

  • ECO Cup
  • 1 Champions (3): 1965, 1970, 1993
  • 2 Runners-up (3): 1967, 1969, 1974**
  • LG Cup
  • 1 Champions (4): 2001, 2002 (Morocco), 2002 (Iran), 2006
  • 3 Third place: 2000
  • Quaid-e-Azam International Cup
  • 1 Champions: 1982
  • Minor Tournament
  • 1 Champions (5)
  • 2 Runners-up (5)
  • 3 Third place (4)

** as Malavan F.C.

Summary of Honors

Competition 1 2 3 Total
Asian Cup 3 0 6 9
Asian Games 3 2 0 5
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 0 1 0 1
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup 1 0 0 1
West Asian Championship 4 1 1 6
CAFA Championship 1 0 0 1
Total 12 4 5 21

More About Iranian Football

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Irán para niños

  • Football 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
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Iran national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.