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Iran national football team facts for kids

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Iran
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)
Association Football Federation Republic of Iran
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation CAFA (Central Asia)
Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio
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 16 (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)
 Hungary 5–0 Iran 
(Nuremberg, West Germany; 27 August 1972)
World Cup
Appearances 7 (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 4 (first in 1964)
Best result Quarter-finals (1976)
Afro-Asian, AFC-OFC
Appearances 3 (first in 1978)
Best result Champions (2003)
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 (meaning "The National Team"), plays for Iran in international men's football. The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) manages the team.

Iran has 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. At the Summer Olympics, their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 1976.

The team has played in the FIFA World Cup seven times (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026). They have not yet made it 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 AFC–OFC Challenge Cup.

Team History and Achievements

Early Football Years

The Iranian Football Federation started in 1920. In 1926, a team from Tehran played the first away match for an Iranian team in the Soviet Union. This team was a early version of the national 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 on August 25, 1941, against Afghanistan.

Iran1304
The very first Iran football team that traveled to Baku in 1926

Iran won the AFC Asian Cup three times in a row (1968, 1972, 1976). This was a golden age for the team. In 1978, Iran played in its first FIFA World Cup after beating Australia. They lost two games but drew 1–1 with Scotland. This was their first World Cup point.

Iran Football 78WC
Iran playing in the 1978 World Cup against Scotland in Córdoba, Argentina

Football in the 1980s and 1990s

After the Iranian Revolution, football faced some challenges. During the 1980s, Iran did not play in World Cup competitions due to the Iran–Iraq War. The team even refused to play in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers.

Despite missing World Cups in 1990 and 1994, new talented players emerged. This helped Iran 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.

World Cup Appearances (1998-2006)

Iran qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup after a tough playoff against Australia. They drew 3–3 overall and advanced because of the away goals rule.

At the 1998 World Cup, Iran lost their first game 1–0 to Yugoslavia. They then made history by winning their first World Cup match, beating the United States 2–1. Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scored for Iran. Before the match, players from both teams exchanged gifts and flowers. Iran lost 2–0 to Germany in their last group game. They finished third in their group.

Iran did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup, losing to the Republic of Ireland. In 2004, Iran finished third in the AFC Asian Cup. They beat South Korea 4–3 in the quarter-finals.

Iran equaliser
Iran scores against Angola at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On June 8, 2005, Iran qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They were one of the first teams to qualify. In the World Cup, Iran lost to Mexico (3–1) and Portugal (2–0). They drew 1–1 with Angola in their final game and were eliminated.

Recent Years (2007-Present)

In November 2006, FIFA briefly suspended Iran from international football. This was due to government involvement in the football association. The ban was lifted quickly.

Iran reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, losing to South Korea on penalties. They did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

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.

In 2011, Carlos Queiroz became Iran's coach. Under him, Iran qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. They won their group in the final qualification round. Queiroz brought in players from other countries with Iranian backgrounds.

Iran vs. Argentina match, 2014 FIFA World Cup 15
Iran v Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil

At the 2014 World Cup, Iran drew 0–0 with Nigeria. They lost 1–0 to Argentina with a late goal from Lionel Messi. Iran was eliminated after losing 3–1 to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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 qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They won their first match 1–0 against Morocco. They then lost 1–0 to Spain. Their last game was a 1–1 draw against Portugal. Iran earned four points, their best World Cup performance so far.

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.

In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Iran won their group. They beat Yemen 5–0 and Vietnam 2–0. They drew with Iraq. Iran reached the semi-finals but lost 3–0 to Japan.

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

Iran qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They were the highest-ranked Asian team. In their first match, Iran lost 6–2 to England. In their next game, Iran defeated Wales 2–0. This was their first World Cup win against a European team. In their final group match, Iran lost 1–0 to the United States and was knocked out.

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

Team Identity

Nicknames

The Iranian national team has several nicknames. The most common is "Team Melli", which means "The National Team" in Persian. Other nicknames include "Persian Stars" and "The Iranian Lions." A newer nickname is Youzpalangan, meaning "The Cheetahs," because of the Asiatic cheetah on their 2014 World Cup jersey.

Team Kits

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

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

Sponsorship

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

Rivalries

Iran has football rivalries with neighboring countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Matches against these teams are often very exciting. They also have strong rivalries with East Asian teams like South Korea and Japan.

Home Stadiums

Azadi Stadium 1991
Azadi Stadium, 1991

Since 1972, Iran's main home stadium has been Tehran's Azadi Stadium. It can hold over 78,000 fans. It is one of the largest stadiums in Asia. In October 2019, some Iranian women were allowed to attend a match at Azadi Stadium for the first time in many years. However, in March 2022, women were again prevented from entering for a World Cup qualifier.

Other stadiums where Iran has played international games include Amjadieh Stadium (their national stadium from 1942 to 1972), Bagh Shomal, Yadegar Emam Stadium in Tabriz, and others in Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, and Mashhad.

Match Results

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

Here are some recent and upcoming matches for the Iran national football team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

5 September 2026 World Cup qualification Iran  1–0  Kyrgyzstan Fuladshahr, Iran
19:30 UTC+3:30
Stadium: Fuladshahr Stadium
Attendance: 12,077
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
10 September 2026 World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates  0–1  Iran Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4
  • Ghayedi Goal 45+3'
Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium
Attendance: 17,826
Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea)
10 October 2026 World Cup qualification Uzbekistan  0–0  Iran Tashkent, Uzbekistan
19:00 UTC+5 Stadium: Milliy Stadium
Attendance: 33,829
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
15 October 2026 World Cup qualification Iran  4–1  Qatar Dubai, United Arab Emirates
19:30 UTC+3:30
  • Azmoun Goal 42'48'
  • Mohebi Goal 65'90+8'
  • Ali Goal 17'
Stadium: Rashid Stadium
Attendance: 7,890
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
14 November 2026 World Cup qualification North Korea  2–3  Iran Vientiane, Laos
19:00 UTC+7
  • Taremi Goal 56' (o.g.)
  • Kim Yu-song Goal 59'
  • Ghayedi Goal 29'
  • Mohebi Goal 41'45'
Stadium: New Laos National Stadium
Attendance: 100
Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (Tajikistan)
19 November 2026 World Cup qualification Kyrgyzstan  2–3  Iran Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
20:00 UTC+6
  • Kojo Goal 51'64' (pen.)
Stadium: Dolen Omurzakov Stadium
Attendance: 10,021
Referee: Ma Ning (China)

2025 Matches

20 March 2026 World Cup qualification Iran  2–0  United Arab Emirates Tehran, Iran
19:30 UTC+3:30
  • Azmoun Goal 45+27'
  • Mohebi Goal 70'
Stadium: Azadi Stadium
Attendance: 20,469
Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)
25 March 2026 World Cup qualification Iran  2–2  Uzbekistan Tehran, Iran
19:30 UTC+3:30
  • Erkinov Goal 16'
  • Fayzullaev Goal 53'
Stadium: Azadi Stadium
Attendance: 36,702
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)
5 June 2026 World Cup qualification Qatar  1–0  Iran Doha, Qatar
21:15 UTC+3
  • Pedro Miguel Goal 41'
Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
Attendance: 8,925
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hoaish (Saudi Arabia)
10 June 2026 World Cup qualification Iran  3–0  North Korea Tehran, Iran
19:30 UTC+3:30
  • Mohebi Goal 74'
  • Taremi Goal 77'
  • Hosseinzadeh Goal 90+3'
Stadium: Azadi Stadium
Attendance: 16,803
Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)
29 August 2025 CAFA Nations Cup Iran  v  Afghanistan Hisor, Tajikistan
Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium
4 September 2025 CAFA Nations Cup Tajikistan  v  Iran Hisor, Tajikistan
Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium
6 October Friendly Russia  v  Iran TBD
--:-- UTC+3
  • FIFA International match days 2023-2030

Team Staff

Position Name
Head Coach Iran Amir Ghalenoei
Assistant Coach(es) Italy Antonio Manicone
Iran Rahman Rezaei
Iran Andranik Teymourian
Iran Saeed Alhoei
Iran Human Afazeli
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

Current Players

These players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June 2025. Caps and goals are updated as of June 10, 2025, after the match against North Korea.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alireza Beiranvand (1992-09-21) 21 September 1992 (age 32) 80 0 Iran Tractor
12 1GK Payam Niazmand (1995-04-06) 6 April 1995 (age 30) 9 0 Iran Persepolis
22 1GK Hossein Hosseini (1992-06-30) 30 June 1992 (age 33) 12 0 Iran Esteghlal

2 2DF Sadegh Moharrami (1996-04-01) 1 April 1996 (age 29) 30 1 Iran Tractor
4 2DF Amin Hazbavi (2003-05-06) 6 May 2003 (age 22) 4 0 Iran Sepahan
5 2DF Saleh Hardani (1998-12-26) 26 December 1998 (age 26) 14 1 Iran Esteghlal
8 2DF Morteza Pouraliganji (1992-04-19) 19 April 1992 (age 33) 54 3 Iran Persepolis
11 2DF Ali Nemati (1996-02-07) 7 February 1996 (age 29) 8 0 Iran Foolad
19 2DF Aref Aghasi (1997-01-02) 2 January 1997 (age 28) 3 0 Iran Esteghlal
21 2DF Omid Noorafkan (1997-04-09) 9 April 1997 (age 28) 30 1 Iran Sepahan
23 2DF Aria Yousefi (2002-04-22) 22 April 2002 (age 23) 7 0 Iran Sepahan

3 3MF Mohammad Ghorbani (2001-05-21) 21 May 2001 (age 24) 7 0 United Arab Emirates Al Wahda
6 3MF Saeid Ezatolahi (1996-10-01) 1 October 1996 (age 28) 77 1 United Arab Emirates Shabab Al Ahli
7 3MF Mohammad Javad Hosseinnejad (2003-06-26) 26 June 2003 (age 22) 4 0 Russia Dynamo Makhachkala
13 3MF Amirmohammad Razzaghinia (2006-04-11) 11 April 2006 (age 19) 1 0 Iran Esteghlal
14 3MF Saman Ghoddos (1993-09-06) 6 September 1993 (age 31) 59 3 United Arab Emirates Ittihad Kalba
15 3MF Rouzbeh Cheshmi (1993-07-24) 24 July 1993 (age 32) 37 3 Iran Esteghlal
17 3MF Mehdi Hashemnejad (2001-10-27) 27 October 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Iran Tractor
20 3MF Mohammad Mehdi Mohebi (2000-02-10) 10 February 2000 (age 25) 2 1 Iran Sepahan

9 4FW Mehdi Taremi (1992-07-18) 18 July 1992 (age 33) 94 55 Italy Internazionale
10 4FW Shahriyar Moghanlou (1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 (age 30) 16 2 United Arab Emirates Ittihad Kalba
16 4FW Ali Alipour (1995-11-11) 11 November 1995 (age 29) 5 0 Iran Persepolis
18 4FW Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (2000-10-30) 30 October 2000 (age 24) 7 1 Iran Tractor

Recent Call-ups

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


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Mohamad Khalifeh (2004-08-19) 19 August 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Iran Aluminium Arak v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025
GK Parsa Jafari (1999-07-09) 9 July 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Iran Zob Ahan v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
GK Mohammad Reza Akhbari (1993-02-15) 15 February 1993 (age 32) 1 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Kyrgyzstan, 19 November 2024
GK Arsha Shakouri (2006-10-01) 1 October 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Iran Havadar v.  United Arab Emirates, 10 September 2024

DF Shojae Khalilzadeh (1989-05-14) 14 May 1989 (age 36) 50 2 Iran Tractor v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025
DF Milad Mohammadi (1993-09-29) 29 September 1993 (age 31) 70 1 Iran Persepolis v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025
DF Majid Hosseini (1996-06-20) 20 June 1996 (age 29) 28 0 Turkey Kayserispor v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
DF Yaghoub Barage (2006-01-26) 26 January 2006 (age 19) 0 0 Iran Persepolis v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
DF Mohammad Mehdi Zare (2003-01-25) 25 January 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Russia Akhmat Grozny v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
DF Hossein Kanaanizadegan (1994-03-23) 23 March 1994 (age 31) 59 6 Iran Persepolis v.  Uzbekistan, 25 March 2025
DF Danial Eiri (2003-10-26) 26 October 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Iran Malavan v.  United Arab Emirates, 20 March 2025
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

MF Mohammad Karimi (1996-06-20) 20 June 1996 (age 29) 10 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025
MF Mehdi Torabi WD (1994-09-10) 10 September 1994 (age 30) 51 7 Iran Tractor v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF Mehdi Ghayedi INJ (1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 26) 27 9 United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF Mohammad Askari (2006-02-07) 7 February 2006 (age 19) 0 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF Aref Haji Eydi (1999-04-06) 6 April 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Iran Sepahan v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi (2004-03-28) 28 March 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Iran Persepolis v.  Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MF Alireza Jahanbakhsh (1993-08-11) 11 August 1993 (age 31) 91 17 Netherlands Heerenveen v.  Uzbekistan, 25 March 2025
MF Ali Gholizadeh (1996-03-10) 10 March 1996 (age 29) 42 6 Poland Lech Poznań v.  Uzbekistan, 25 March 2025
MF Mohammad Mohebi (1998-12-20) 20 December 1998 (age 26) 28 10 Russia Rostov v.  United Arab Emirates, 20 March 2025

FW Sardar Azmoun (1995-01-01) 1 January 1995 (age 30) 91 57 United Arab Emirates Shabab Al Ahli v.  Uzbekistan, 25 March 2025
FW Saeid Saharkhizan (2003-06-26) 26 June 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Russia Orenburg v.  Kyrgyzstan, 19 November 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

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

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

Most Games Played

Iran vs. Montenegro 2014-05-26 (040)
Javad Nekounam is the most capped player in the history of Iran with 149 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Javad Nekounam 149 38 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 94 55 2015–present
10 Sardar Azmoun 91 57 2014–present
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 91 17 2013–present

Top Goal Scorers

Ali Daei, Saipa vs. Al-Rayyan pre-match conference
Ali Daei is the world's third all-time leading goalscorer in international matches, having scored 108 goals in 148 matches.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ali Daei (list) 108 148 0.73 1993–2006
2 Sardar Azmoun 57 91 0.63 2014–present
3 Mehdi Taremi 55 94 0.59 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 91 0.19 2013–present

Most Capped Goalkeepers

Ahmadreza Abedzadeh 20170303 04
Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, an iconic goalkeeper known for his outstanding performances with the national team, is regarded as one of the finest in the nation's history.
Rank Player Caps Career
1 Alireza Beiranvand 80 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

Team 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 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– 91 17 6 0

FIFA World Rankings

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

From December 2014 to May 2018, Iran was the highest-ranked team in Asia. This was the longest time any Asian team held that spot.

  • Highest FIFA ranking: 15 (July 2005)
  • Lowest FIFA ranking: 122 (May 1996)
  • Best mover: +65 (July 1996)
  • Worst mover: –43 (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

Honors and Awards

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 (3): 1974, 1990, 1998
    • Silver medal (2): 1951, 1966

Regional Titles

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

Friendly Tournament Wins

  • ECO Cup
    • Winners: 1965, 1970, 1993
  • LG Cup
    • Winners: 2001, 2002 (Morocco), 2002 (Iran), 2006
  • Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament
    • Winners: 1982
  • Cyrus International Tournament
    • Winners: 1971
  • Iran International Tournament
    • Winners: 1974

Awards

  • AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award: 1996

Summary of Official Honors

These are official senior honors recognized by FIFA or related football groups.

Competition 1 2 3 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
Notes
  1. This competition is organized by the OCA and is not officially recognized by FIFA.

More About Iranian Football

  • Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
  • Persian Gulf Pro League (Iran's top football league)
  • Football in Iran
  • Iran national futsal team (indoor football)
  • Iran national beach soccer team
  • Iran national under-23 football team
  • Iran women's national football team

See also

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

kids search engine
Iran national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.