Masoud Shojaei facts for kids
Shojaei with Iran in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 June 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Shiraz, Iran | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Sanat Naft | ||
| 2000–2002 | Saipa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2003 | Sanat Naft | 12 | (1) |
| 2003–2006 | Saipa | 60 | (5) |
| 2006–2008 | Al-Sharjah | 12 | (3) |
| 2008–2013 | Osasuna | 101 | (8) |
| 2013–2014 | Las Palmas | 29 | (5) |
| 2014–2015 | Al Shahaniya | 24 | (5) |
| 2015–2016 | Al-Gharafa | 25 | (4) |
| 2016–2018 | Panionios | 41 | (7) |
| 2018 | AEK Athens | 12 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | Tractor | 84 | (7) |
| 2021–2023 | Nassaji | 24 | (2) |
| 2023 | → Havadar (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2005 | Iran B | 6 | (1) |
| 2004–2019 | Iran | 90 | (8) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2020 | Tractor (player-manager) | ||
| 2023–2024 | Havadar | ||
| 2024– | Mes Rafsanjan | ||
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Masoud Soleimani Shojaei (born on 9 June 1984) is an Iranian football coach and former professional footballer. He is currently the manager of Persian Gulf Pro League club Mes Rafsanjan. Shojaei mainly played as an attacking midfielder, but he could also play as a winger or forward.
After playing for two clubs in his home country and for Al-Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, he spent several seasons in Spain with Osasuna. There, he played in 112 official matches.
Masoud Shojaei has been a part of the Iranian national team since 2004. He has played for his country in three World Cups and four Asian Cups.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out
Shojaei was born in Shiraz, Iran, and spent most of his life in Abadan and Tehran. He began his football journey with Sanat Naft Abadan F.C. before moving to Saipa F.C. in Karaj. He joined Saipa at 19 and played there for three seasons.
After the 2006 World Cup, Shojaei moved to the United Arab Emirates. He signed with Al Sharjah SC. He scored his first goal for the club in the league on 3 October against Emirates Club.
Playing in Spain with Osasuna
On 23 June 2008, Shojaei signed a three-year contract with the Spanish team CA Osasuna. He joined his fellow Iranian player Javad Nekounam there. The deal included a special clause that meant other clubs would have to pay €6 million to buy him in the first 18 months. This amount would drop to €3.5 million later.
Shojaei played his first La Liga game on 31 August 2008. He played for 32 minutes in a 1–1 draw at home against Villarreal CF. In his first two seasons, he often came on as a substitute. Even when the coach changed, he remained a regular player.
Shojaei, who was known by his first name in Spain, played regularly for Osasuna in the 2010–11 season. He also spent a month away playing for his national team in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. In May, he signed a new contract with the club for two more seasons.
He missed the entire 2011–12 season because of an injury. On 25 February 2013, in only his fourth game back, he scored an amazing goal. This helped Osasuna win 2–0 against Levante UD.
Even though he had a strong start, Shojaei left Osasuna in June 2013.
Time with Las Palmas
On 3 September 2013, Shojaei joined another Spanish club, UD Las Palmas, which played in the Segunda División. He signed a one-year contract. He scored in his very first game, helping his team win 3–1 away against CE Sabadell FC in the Copa del Rey.
Shojaei scored twice and set up another goal in the first half of a league game against the same team on 15 March 2014. Las Palmas won that home game 5–0.
Playing in Qatar
After the 2014 World Cup, Shojaei moved to Al-Shahania Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League. His fellow Iranian player Mehrdad Pooladi also joined him there. On 14 December 2014, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 3–1 away win against Al Sadd SC. A year later, after his team was moved down to a lower league, he joined Al-Gharafa Sports Club.
Adventures in Greece
On 22 July 2016, Shojaei signed a one-year contract with Super League Greece team Panionios. He had a great first season and extended his contract until June 2018. However, on 25 December 2017, he left Panionios by agreement. Three days later, he joined AEK Athens for six months. He announced on Instagram that he would wear number 24 to honor Hadi Norouzi, a player who passed away in 2015.
He played his first game for AEK Athens on 6 January, helping his team win 4–1 away. He also set up a goal in that match. Three days later, he started his first game and made another assist, earning him the "most valuable player" award for his performance.
On 1 March 2018, Shojaei scored his first goal for AEK Athens in a cup semi-final game. He helped the club win its first national championship in 24 years before he left.
Back to Iran with Tractor
On 2 August 2018, Shojaei joined Tractor S.C. on a three-year contract. Eight days later, he played his first game in a 3–0 loss against Esteghlal F.C.. In that game, he was chosen as the team's first captain.
During the 2019–20 season, Shojaei was offered the job of temporary manager after the previous coach left. He said no, and instead became an assistant coach while still helping with training decisions.
Playing for Nassaji
On 5 October 2021, Shojaei joined Nassaji on a two-year contract. He was reunited with his former Tractor manager, Saket Elhami. When he arrived, he became the team's new captain. On 27 February, in the 2022 Hazfi Cup Final, he played the first half of a game that his team won on penalties.
Playing for His Country
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While playing for Saipa, Shojaei earned a spot on the Iranian national under-23 team. This caught the attention of the main national team coach. He was first called up to play for the senior team in November 2004. This was for a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Laos. He only played one game in the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament itself, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Angola.
Shojaei started playing more regularly in the 2010 World Cup qualifying games. He scored in a 1–1 draw against South Korea in the final game. However, Team Melli (the Iranian national team) did not make it to the tournament in South Africa. Iran did manage to reach the 2014 World Cup, with Shojaei playing regularly in the qualifying matches.
On 1 June 2014, Shojaei was included in the squad for the World Cup. He came on as a substitute in the team's first game, a draw with Nigeria. He then started the next group matches against Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On 30 December 2014, Shojaei was chosen for Iran's 2015 AFC Asian Cup team. He scored Iran's second goal in their opening 2–0 win against Bahrain in Melbourne.
Shojaei was the captain for Iran in the 2018 World Cup qualifying home games against China and Uzbekistan.
On 18 March 2018, Shojaei was called up for friendly games against Tunisia and Algeria. He was later chosen for the World Cup finals in Russia as team captain. This made him the first Iranian player to go to three World Cups. He played his first game in the tournament on 15 June in a 1–0 group stage win against Morocco.
In December 2018, Shojaei was selected for Iran's 23-player squad for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He became the only Iranian to take part in seven international tournaments.
Activism and Support
Masoud Shojaei has been a strong supporter of allowing women to attend football games in Iran. He has openly shared his sadness that his mother, sister, and wife could not watch him play in stadiums. He has reportedly asked for the ban to be removed when he met with president Hassan Rouhani in July 2017.
Personal Life
Shojaei's sister, Maryam, has also worked to support women's rights in Iran.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sanat Naft | 2002–03 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||
| Saipa | 2003–04 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| 2004–05 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||||
| 2005–06 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 60 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 61 | 5 | ||||
| Sharjah | 2006–07 | UAE Pro League | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 7 | ||
| 2007–08 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 12 | ||||
| Osasuna | 2008–09 | La Liga | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10 | 36 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 41 | 3 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 101 | 8 | 11 | 1 | — | — | 112 | 9 | ||||
| Las Palmas | 2013–14 | Segunda División | 29 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 6 | |
| Al Shahaniya | 2014–15 | Qatar Stars League | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 5 | ||
| Al Gharafa | 2015–16 | Qatar Stars League | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 4 | ||
| Panionios | 2016–17 | Super League Greece | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2017–18 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 15 | 3 | |||
| Total | 41 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 7 | ||
| AEK Athens | 2017–18 | Super League Greece | 12 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
| Tractor | 2018–19 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 4 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 65 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 7 | ||
| Nassaji | 2021–22 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | |
| Havadar | 2022–23 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 446 | 56 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 489 | 61 | ||
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | GF | GA | +/- | |||
| Tractor | December 2020 | February 2020 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 50.00 | 12 | 10 | +2 |
| Havadar | December 2023 | June 2024 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 30.00 | 25 | 36 | -11 |
| Mes Rafsanjan | November 2024 | Present | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 37.50 | 38 | 47 | -9 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 87 | 8 | |
- Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Shojaei goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2009 | Azadi, Tehran, Iran | 20 |  Saudi Arabia |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 17 June 2009 | World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 24 |  South Korea |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 12 August 2009 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 25 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 7 September 2010 | World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 31 | South Korea |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 26 March 2013 | Al-Sadaqua Walsalam, Kuwait City, Kuwait | 42 |  Kuwait |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2015 Asian Cup qualification |
| 6 | 11 January 2015 | Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia | 56 |  Bahrain |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
| 7 | 17 November 2015 | National Football Stadium, Tamuning, Guam | 63 |  Guam |
4–0 | 6–0 | 2018 World Cup qualification, 2019 Asian Cup qualification |
| 8 | 7 June 2016 | Azadi, Tehran, Iran | 65 |  Kyrgyzstan |
1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
AEK Athens
- Super League: 2017–18
Tractor
- Hazfi Cup: 2019–20
Nassaji
- Hazfi Cup: 2021–22
Iran
- Islamic Solidarity Games: Bronze medal 2005
Individual
- Super League Greece Team of the Season: 2016–17
See also
In Spanish: Masoud Shojaei para niños
