Mehdi Mahdavikia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mehdi Mahdavikia

Mahdavikia in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Mehdi Mahdavikia
Date of birth	(1977-07-24) 24 July 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Ray, Iran
Height	1.72 m
Playing position	Right winger, right back
Youth career
1991–1995	Bank Melli
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995–1999	Persepolis	54	(18)
1998–1999	→ VfL Bochum (loan)	12	(3)
1999–2007	Hamburger SV	211	(26)
2002	→ Hamburger SV Amateure (loan)	2	(0)
2007–2010	Eintracht Frankfurt	32	(0)
2010–2011	Steel Azin	34	(4)
2011–2012	Damash Gilan	14	(0)
2012–2013	Persepolis	27	(3)
Total		386	(54)
National team
1994	Iran U20	2	(0)
1994–1999	Iran U23	12	(2)
1997	Iran CISM	3	(1)
1996–2009	Iran	110	(13)
Teams managed
2013	Iran U17 (technical manager)
2013–2015	Iran U19 (technical manager)
2015–2018	Hamburger SV Academy (offensive coach)
2018	Hamburger SV U16 (assistant)
2018–2019	Hamburger SV II (assistant)
2021–2022	Iran U23
2024–	Al Jazeera Al Hamra F.C.
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Mehdi Mahdavikia (born 24 July 1977) is a famous Iranian football coach and former player. He usually played as a right winger or right back. He was known for his amazing speed, dribbling skills, and great passes.

Mehdi Mahdavikia played for many clubs in Iran and Germany. He spent 12 years playing in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. He also captained the Iranian national team from 2006 to 2009. He is one of Iran's most capped players, meaning he played in many international matches.

He won the Asian Young Footballer of the Year award in 1997. Later, in 2003, he was named the Asian Footballer of the Year. After retiring as a player, he became a youth coach. He even started his own football academy called FC KIA. Currently, he is the head coach for Al Jazeera Al Hamra F.C. in the UAE.

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Iran

Mehdi Mahdavikia began his professional football journey in Iran. He first played for Persepolis, one of the biggest clubs in his home country. His talent quickly caught the eye of European teams.

Moving to Germany

After playing in Iran, Mehdi moved to Germany to join VfL Bochum. This was a big step in his career. When Bochum was relegated (moved down to a lower league), he signed with Hamburg, a well-known club in the Bundesliga. He stayed with Hamburg for eight seasons, which is a long time in football!

Life at Hamburger SV

At Hamburg, Mehdi first played as a right fullback. But he was so good at attacking that he often moved forward. He was known for his fast runs and sometimes even played as a striker. Fans and experts loved his attacking style.

• In 2003 and 2004, Hamburg fans voted him their Player of the Year.
• He was also the top player for assists (passes that lead to goals) in the Bundesliga.
• His teammates and coaches admired his vision and passing skills.
• He was nicknamed "The Rocket" in Iran because of his incredible speed.
• In Hamburg, he was called "The Carpet" (der Teppich) because he seemed to "magically glide past" opponents.

After a tough season in 2004–05, he worked hard and got back to his best form. He helped Hamburg win many games, even scoring the winning goal against strong teams like Schalke.

Playing for Eintracht Frankfurt

In 2007, Mehdi signed a three-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt. Unfortunately, he faced some injuries during his first season there. In his second season, he didn't play as much. After playing 255 games in the Bundesliga for different clubs, he decided to return to Iran in 2010.

Back to Iran

Mehdi Mahdavikia returned to Iran and joined Steel Azin. Later, in 2011, he signed with Damash Gilan. However, he soon moved back to his beloved club, Persepolis, to play his final years of football there. He even extended his contract with Persepolis for another season.

Retiring from Football

Mahdavikia in his last match for Persepolis

On March 2, 2013, Mehdi Mahdavikia announced that he would retire at the end of the 2012–13 season. His last match as a player was in the 2013 Hazfi Cup Final. He came on as a substitute in extra time.

A special farewell match was held for him on November 28, 2013, at Azadi Stadium. It was a game between a team of Persepolis legends and a team of A.C. Milan legends. Many famous players, like Paolo Maldini and Gennaro Gattuso, came to play. Mehdi Mahdavikia even assisted the only goal for Persepolis in that game.

International Career

Mahdavikia in 2006

Mehdi Mahdavikia was a key player for the Iranian national team.

• In 1997, he won the Asian Young Footballer of the Year award.
• He was considered Iran's best player in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
• In 2003, the Asian Football Confederation named him the Asian Footballer of the Year.
• He was also the top assister in the 2004 Asian Cup, helping Iran's attack.
• He played in four Asian Cups (1996, 2000, 2004, 2007) and two World Cups (1998, 2006).

Mehdi played a big part in Iran qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After that World Cup, he became the captain of the Iranian national team. He wore the captain's armband for the first time on August 16, 2006.

He stopped playing for the national team after an incident in 2009. During a World Cup qualification match, he wore a green bracelet. This was seen as a sign of support for protests happening in Iran at the time. After this, he no longer played for the national team. He had played for Team Melli for 13 years.

Managerial Career

After retiring from playing, Mehdi Mahdavikia started coaching. He managed Iranian youth teams. In 2015, he co-founded the KIA Football Academy to help young players develop their skills. He also works as a youth coach for Hamburger SV, the German club where he played for many years.

In May 2019, he earned his UEFA A Licence, which is an important coaching qualification. He plans to continue his coaching education to become a top-level football coach.

Famous Matches

Mehdi Mahdavikia had many memorable games during his career.

• One of his most famous club matches was for Hamburger SV against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League. Hamburg was losing 3–1, but Mehdi helped them come back. He scored one goal, assisted another, and won a penalty, helping Hamburg take a 4–3 lead!
• Another great game for Hamburg was in 2003 against 1. FC Nuremberg. Mehdi scored one goal and assisted two others in a 4–0 win.
• For the national team, his best game was arguably against South Korea in the 2004 Asia Cup. He assisted three goals in Iran's exciting 4–3 victory.
• Many people also remember his amazing performance against the United States in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He scored Iran's second goal, which was the winning goal in that historic 2–1 match.

Personal Life

Mahdavikia in 2012

As a child, Mehdi Mahdavikia was good at many sports, especially handball. He was even the captain of Iran's under-14 handball team!

Mehdi is married to Sepideh, and they have a daughter named Asal. His younger brother, Hadi, also played football and is now the head coach of the KIA Football Academy. His nephew, Mostafa, is also a football player.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Honours and Awards

Persepolis

• Azadegan League: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99 (These are league championships)

Hamburger SV

• DFB-Ligapokal: 2003 (A German football league cup)
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005 (A European club competition)

Iran National Team

• Asian Games: 1998 (Gold Medal)
• AFC Asian Cup third place: 1996, 2004
• AFC–OFC Challenge Cup: 2003

Individual Awards

• AFC Goal of the Month: September 1997
• AFC Youth Player of the Year: 1997
• Bundesliga top assist provider: 2002–03
• AFC Player of the Year: 2003
• Asian Cup All-Star Team: 2004
• Hamburger SV All-time Team: 2012
• AFC Asian Cup Fans' All-time Best XI: 2018
• IFFHS Asian Men's Team of All Time: 2021
• AFC Asian Cup All-time XI: 2023

Images for kids

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  Mahdavikia in 2013

• 

  Mahdavikia in his last match for Persepolis

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  Mahdavikia in 2006

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  Mahdavikia in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Mehdi Mahdavikia para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps