Karim Ansarifard facts for kids
Ansarifard with Iran at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 April 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Ardabil, Iran | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2005 | Inter Campus | ||
| 2005–2006 | Zob Ahan Ardabil | ||
| 2006–2007 | Saipa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2012 | Saipa | 123 | (55) |
| 2012–2014 | Persepolis | 31 | (8) |
| 2013–2014 | → Tractor | 28 | (14) |
| 2014–2015 | Osasuna | 16 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Panionios | 41 | (13) |
| 2017–2018 | Olympiacos | 34 | (18) |
| 2018–2019 | Nottingham Forest | 12 | (2) |
| 2019–2020 | Al-Sailiya | 20 | (6) |
| 2020–2022 | AEK Athens | 63 | (17) |
| 2022–2024 | Omonia | 46 | (6) |
| 2024 | Aris | 12 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005–2006 | Iran U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Iran U20 | 9 | (6) |
| 2009–2011 | Iran U23 | 15 | (6) |
| 2009– | Iran | 104 | (30) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Karim Adil Ansarifard (Persian: کریم انصاریفرد) was born on April 3, 1990. He is a professional footballer from Iran. Karim plays as a forward, which means he is usually one of the main goal scorers on the team. He also plays for the Iran national team.
Many people have compared his playing style to Ali Daei, who was a famous Iranian football coach and player. Ali Daei was actually the coach who first noticed Karim's talent! World Soccer magazine once called Karim one of the best young football players in the world. In 2012, FIFA.com also said he was one of the players to watch.
Club Career Highlights
Karim Ansarifard has played for many different football clubs around the world. He started his journey in Iran and later moved to play in Europe and Qatar.
Starting with Saipa
Karim started his youth career at Saipa. The coach, Ali Daei, saw him during a training camp in Karim's hometown of Ardabil. Ali Daei brought Karim into the club's youth team. Karim quickly moved up to the main team. He scored important goals, even against strong teams like Sepahan.
In the 2009–10 season, Karim scored 13 goals. He became one of Saipa's best players. Some big European clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Celtic became interested in him. Even though many clubs wanted him, Karim stayed with Saipa. In the 2011–12 season, he became the league's top scorer with 21 goals!
Moving to Persepolis
After his great success at Saipa, Karim signed a three-year contract with Persepolis in June 2012. He wore the number 9 shirt. He scored his first goal for Persepolis in a friendly match. He also scored his first Hat-trick (three goals in one game) for Persepolis against Paykan. He even scored another hat-trick in a cup match.
Time at Tractor
In July 2013, Karim joined Tractor. He signed a one-year contract. With Tractor, he won the Hazfi Cup, which is a big football tournament in Iran. He was even named the best player of that tournament! Karim scored 14 goals in the league for Tractor, making him the top scorer for the second time in his career.
Playing in Spain with Osasuna
In August 2014, Karim moved to Spain. He signed a two-year deal with CA Osasuna, a team in the Segunda División. He played his first league game in October 2014.
Adventures in Greece with Panionios
In the summer of 2015, Karim joined Panionios in Greece. He scored his first goal for the club in October 2015. He scored two goals in one game against PAS Giannina. One of his goals in April 2016 was even chosen as the "goal of the week"! He started the 2016–17 season as a very important player for the team.
Joining Olympiacos
In January 2017, Karim signed a contract with one of Greece's biggest clubs, Olympiacos. He was given the number 17 shirt. He scored his first goal for Olympiacos in a cup game. Karim also scored two goals in a Europa League game, helping Olympiacos reach the Round of 16. Because of his great performance, he was named the UEFA Europa League Player of the Week.
He helped Olympiacos win the league title. In December 2017, his amazing performance made it one of the best years of his career. He became the league's top scorer with seven goals from 11 matches.
Short Spell at Nottingham Forest
In November 2018, Karim joined Nottingham Forest in England. He signed a contract for one and a half years. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win against Hull City.
Playing in Qatar with Al-Sailiya
In July 2019, Karim moved to Al-Sailiya in the Qatar Stars League.
Return to Greece with AEK Athens
In August 2020, Karim signed a three-year contract with AEK Athens in Greece. He scored a winning goal in the last minute of a game against Wolfsburg in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round. He continued to score important goals for AEK Athens, including two goals in a game against Apollon Smyrnis in March 2021.
Moving to Cyprus with Omonia
In August 2022, Karim joined Omonia, a club in Cyprus. He signed a two-year contract. In October, he scored a goal against Manchester United in the Europa League. This made him Omonia's 100th player to score in a European competition! In May 2023, he scored the winning goal in the final of the Cypriot Cup, helping Omonia win their 16th domestic cup.
Current Club: Aris
In January 2024, Karim signed for another Greek team, Aris.
International Career
Karim Ansarifard has played for the senior Iran national team since 2009. He also played for Iran's youth teams, including the Under-17 and Under-20 teams.
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He scored his first international goal in November 2009 against Iceland. He even wore the number 10 shirt, which was famously worn by Ali Daei. Karim became Iran's youngest goal scorer in the AFC Asian Cup in 2011.
He was part of Iran's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and played in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also played in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Karim scored a penalty goal against Portugal. In 2019, he scored a goal in the quarter-final match of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup against China.
On October 10, 2019, Karim scored four goals in a huge 14–0 win against Cambodia during the World Cup qualifiers. He was also part of the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In January 2024, he scored the first goal in a 4–1 victory against Palestine in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. This game was also his 100th match for the national team!
Playing Style
Karim is known as a centre forward, which means he plays close to the opponent's goal to score. He has a lot of energy and is good at both heading the ball and playing on the ground. Some fans compare him to the famous Iranian player Ali Daei and German forward Thomas Müller. His favorite player is Fernando Torres.
Personal Life
Karim Ansarifard was born in Ardabil, Iran. He is the youngest of seven children, with three brothers and three sisters. He studied physical education at Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch.
In August 2018, Karim married a Greek businesswoman named Alexandra Sofia Kalouli. They had a ceremony in Vouliagmeni, Greece. Alexandra works as a managing director at a mental health research center.
Honours
Karim Ansarifard has won several awards and titles throughout his career:
Tractor
- Hazfi Cup: 2013–14
Olympiacos
- Super League Greece: 2016–17
Omonia
- Cypriot Cup: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- Persian Gulf Pro League Player of the Month: August 2011
- Persian Gulf Pro League Top scorer: 2011–12 (21 goals), 2013–14 (14 goals)
- Persian Gulf Pro League Striker of the Year: 2011–12, 2013–14
- Persian Gulf Pro League Team of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14
- Super League Greece Team of the Season: 2017–18
See also
In Spanish: Karim Ansarifard para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- Iranians in Spain
