Mehdi Taremi facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Mehdi Taremi

Iran - Japan, AFC Asian Cup 2019 42 (cropped).jpg

Taremi with Iran at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Personal information

Date of birth

18 July 1992 (age 32)

Place of birth

Bushehr, Iran

Height

1.87 m

Playing position

Striker

Club information

Current club

Inter Milan

Number

Youth career

2002–2006

Bargh Bushehr

2006–2010

Iranjavan

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2010–2012

Shahin Bushehr

(1)

2012–2014

Iranjavan

(12)

2014–2018

Persepolis

(45)

2018–2019

Al-Gharafa

(13)

2019–2020

Rio Ave

(18)

2020–2024

Porto

122

(64)

2024–

Inter Milan

(0)

National team^‡

2011–2012

Iran U20

(0)

2013

Iran U23

(0)

2015–

Iran

(52)

Honours


Representing Iran
CAFA Nations Cup
Winner	2023 Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:16, 19 January 2025 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2024

Mehdi Taremi (born 18 July 1992) is a famous football player from Iran. He plays as a striker, which means he is a forward player who scores goals. Currently, he plays for the Serie A club Inter Milan and the Iran national team.

Mehdi Taremi is sometimes called a "late bloomer" because he became very successful later in his career. He started playing for teams like Shahin Bushehr and Iranjavan. From 2014 to 2018, he played for Persepolis and was the top scorer in the Persian Gulf Pro League twice.

Later, he moved to Qatar to play for Al-Gharafa. Then, he joined Rio Ave in Portugal, where he was one of the top scorers in the Primeira Liga in 2019–20. In 2020, he moved to Porto, another Portuguese club. There, he won many titles, including the league and cup. He was also the top goal scorer in the league in 2022–23.

Taremi first played for the senior Iran national team in 2015. He has represented Iran in major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022, and the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 and 2023.

Club Career

Early Football Days

Mehdi Taremi began his football journey at the Bargh Bushehr Academy. He then moved to the Youth Academy of Iranjavan.

Playing for Shahin Bushehr

In the summer of 2010, Taremi joined Shahin Bushehr. He played seven games for them and scored one goal. In 2012, he left the club.

Time at Iranjavan

Taremi returned to Iranjavan in the summer of 2013. He signed a two-year contract and wore the number 9 jersey. During the 2013–14 season, Taremi scored 12 goals in 22 matches. He became the second-highest scorer in the league that season.

Joining Persepolis

Taremi in Persepolis training in 2016

After scoring many goals, Taremi received offers from several teams. He decided to join Persepolis in the summer of 2014. He signed a two-year contract with the club.

First Season (2014–15)

Taremi played his first game for Persepolis in a 1–1 draw against Naft Tehran. He scored his first goal for the club on 15 August 2014, helping them win 1–0 against Zob Ahan. He also scored a penalty in an Asian Champions League match against Al Nassr. Taremi won the Best Striker Award for the 2014–15 season.

Second Season (2015–16)

Taremi playing for Persepolis in the Tehran derby.

Taremi scored in his first game back on 6 August 2015. He scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Foolad, which was Persepolis' first win of the season. His great performances in August made him the "Player of the Month."

On 18 December 2015, Taremi scored two goals against Rah Ahan. He finished the first half of the season as the top scorer with nine goals. On 15 April 2016, Taremi scored two goals in Persepolis' 4–2 win over Esteghlal in the famous Tehran derby. He ended the season as the league's top scorer with 16 goals.

Third Season (2016–17)

Before the new season, Taremi wanted to join a European team. However, he returned to Iran and signed a new two-year contract with Persepolis. He scored his first goal of the season against Saba Qom.

He also scored two goals in a 3–1 win over Sepahan. At the end of the season, Persepolis won their tenth league title. Taremi became the top scorer for the second year in a row with 18 goals. He scored three important goals against Al Wahda in the 2017 AFC Champions League, helping his team move forward.

Fourth Season (2017–18)

Taremi played seven games and scored four goals during this season. He was later banned from playing for four months due to an old contract issue with a Turkish club. Because of this, Persepolis was also not allowed to sign new players for a while.

Moving to Al Gharafa

Taremi playing for Al-Gharafa in 2018

On 8 January 2018, Taremi signed an 18-month contract with the Qatari club Al-Gharafa. He scored his first goal for them in an AFC Champions League match. He also scored two goals against Iranian team Tractor Sazi in the same competition.

Joining Rio Ave

On 23 July 2019, Taremi signed a two-year contract with the Portuguese club Rio Ave. He scored three goals in his first league start for the club on 23 August 2019. In another match, he helped his team win three penalties, which led to a 3–2 victory. Taremi finished his first season with 18 goals, making him one of the top scorers in the league.

Success at Porto

Taremi playing for Porto in 2021

In August 2020, Taremi signed a four-year contract with Porto, another top club in Portugal. He scored his first league goal for Porto on 8 November 2020. In December 2020, he helped Porto win the 2020 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, earning his first European medal.

On 17 February 2021, Taremi scored for Porto against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League. He was the first Iranian player to score in this stage of the competition. On 13 April, he scored an amazing bicycle kick goal against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals. This goal was later voted the best goal of the season's Champions League and was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award.

Taremi had a fantastic 2020–21 season, scoring 16 goals and making 11 assists. He won his first Primeira Liga title with Porto in the 2021–22 season, contributing 20 goals and 13 assists. In the 2022–23 season, he scored 22 goals and made seven assists, winning the top scorer award. He also helped Porto win the Taça de Portugal cup twice.

Taremi playing for Inter Milan in 2024

On 12 May 2024, he scored a goal in the 98th minute in his final game for Porto at their home stadium. Later that month, on 26 May, he scored a penalty in extra time to help Porto win the 2024 Taça de Portugal final 2–1 against Sporting CP.

Joining Inter Milan

On 13 July 2024, Taremi signed a three-year contract with the Italian champions Inter Milan. He became the first Iranian player to join Inter Milan. Taremi scored two goals in his first friendly match for Inter on 17 July 2024.

International Career

Youth Teams

Taremi played for Iran's student national football team and scored 9 goals in a tournament in Turkey. He was also called up to the Iran Under-23 team.

Playing for Iran's Senior Team

Taremi celebrating Iran's goal against Morocco in the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Taremi celebrating his goal against China in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Taremi played his first game for the senior Iran national team on 11 June 2015. On 3 September 2015, he scored his first two goals for Iran in a big 6–0 win against Guam. He scored important goals in the World Cup qualifiers, helping Iran reach the World Cup.

In June 2018, he was part of Iran's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In a group stage match against Portugal, Taremi had a chance to score a winning goal in the last moments, but it went wide. This would have helped Iran move to the next round.

He was also chosen for Iran's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In their first game, he scored two goals against England. Taremi has continued to be a key player for Iran, scoring many goals in various competitions.

Personal Life

Mehdi Taremi is the youngest of three children in his family. His older brother, Mohammad, is also a football player.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Shahin	2010–11	Persian Gulf Pro League	6	1	0	0	—		—		—		6	1
	2011–12	Persian Gulf Pro League	2	0	0	0	—		—		—		2	0
	Total		8	1	0	0	—		—		—		8	1
Iranjavan	2012–13	Azadegan League	—		—		—		—		—		—
	2013–14	Azadegan League	22	12	0	0	—		—		—		22	12
	Total		22	12	0	0	—		—		—		22	12
Persepolis	2014–15	Persian Gulf Pro League	26	7	4	0	—		8	1	—		38	8
	2015–16		25	16	2	2	—		—		—		27	18
	2016–17		29	18	0	0	—		8	6	—		37	24
	2017–18		9	4	0	0	—		2	1	1	0	10	5
	Total		87	45	6	2	—		18	8	1	0	112	55
Al-Gharafa	2017–18	Qatar Stars League	8	5	2	0	0	0	7	5	1	1	18	11
	2018–19	Qatar Stars League	22	8	2	2	0	0	1	1	—		25	11
	Total		30	13	4	2	0	0	8	6	1	1	43	22
Rio Ave	2019–20	Primeira Liga	30	18	4	2	3	1	—		—		37	21
Porto	2020–21	Primeira Liga	34	16	6	5	1	0	6	2	1	0	48	23
	2021–22		32	20	6	3	1	1	9	2	0	0	48	26
	2022–23		33	22	5	0	5	2	7	5	1	2	51	31
	2023–24		23	6	2	2	2	1	7	2	1	0	35	11
	Total		122	64	19	10	9	4	29	11	3	2	182	91
Inter Milan	2024–25	Serie A	15	0	1	0	—		7	1	2	1	25	2
Career total			314	153	34	16	12	5	62	26	7	4	429	204

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Iran	2015	7	5
	2016	9	2
	2017	7	3
	2018	12	3
	2019	10	8
	2020	1	1
	2021	9	4
	2022	8	5
	2023	11	12
	2024	17	9
Total		91	52

Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Taremi goal.

List of international goals scored by Mehdi Taremi
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	3 September 2015	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Guam	2–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	3 September 2015	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Guam	5–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	8 September 2015	Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore, India	India	3–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	17 November 2015	Guam National Football Stadium, Tamuning, Guam	Guam	1–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	17 November 2015	Guam National Football Stadium, Tamuning, Guam	Guam	6–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	7 June 2016	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Kyrgyzstan	2–0	6–0	Friendly
7	10 November 2016	Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Malaysia	Papua New Guinea	2–0	8–1	Friendly
8	23 March 2017	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Qatar	1–0	1–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	28 March 2017	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	China	1–0	1–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	12 June 2017	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Uzbekistan	2–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	27 March 2018	UCP Arena, Graz, Austria	Algeria	2–0	2–1	Friendly
12	24 December 2018	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar	[[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}\|Palestinian National Authority]]	1–0	1–1	Friendly
13	31 December 2018	Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	Qatar	1–0	2–1	Friendly
14	7 January 2019	Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Yemen	1–0	5–0	2019 AFC Asian Cup
15	7 January 2019	Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Yemen	3–0	5–0	2019 AFC Asian Cup
16	24 January 2019	Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	China	1–0	3–0	2019 AFC Asian Cup
17	3 June 2019	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Syria	2–0	5–0	Friendly
18				3–0
19				4–0
20	10 October 2019	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Cambodia	4–0	14–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
21	10 October 2019	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Cambodia	9–0	14–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
22	8 October 2020	Pakhtakor Central Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan	Uzbekistan	2–0	2–1	Friendly
23	7 June 2021	Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain	Bahrain	3–0	3–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	11 June 2021	Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain	Cambodia	3–0	10–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
25	7 September 2021	Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	Iraq	2–0	3–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
26	7 October 2021	Zabeel Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	United Arab Emirates	1–0	1–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
27	27 January 2022	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Iraq	1–0	1–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
28	1 February 2022	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	United Arab Emirates	1–0	1–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
29	23 September 2022	NV Arena, Sankt Pölten, Austria	Uruguay	1–0	1–0	Friendly
30	21 November 2022	Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	England	1–4	2–6	2022 FIFA World Cup
31	21 November 2022	Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	England	2–6	2–6	2022 FIFA World Cup
32	23 March 2023	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Russia	1–1	1–1	Friendly
33	13 June 2023	Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	Afghanistan	2–0	6–1	2023 CAFA Nations Cup
34				3–0
35				5–0
36	16 June 2023	Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	5–1	2023 CAFA Nations Cup
37				2–0
38				3–1
39	12 September 2023	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Angola	1–0	4–0	Friendly
40	12 September 2023	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Angola	2–0	4–0	Friendly
41	13 October 2023	Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Jordan	2–0	3–1	2023 Jordan International Tournament
42	16 November 2023	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Hong Kong	3–0	4–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
43	21 November 2023	Milliy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan	Uzbekistan	2–0	2–2	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
44	5 January 2024	Olympic Stadium, Kish, Iran	Burkina Faso	1–1	2–1	Friendly
45	23 January 2024	Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	United Arab Emirates	1–0	2–1	2023 AFC Asian Cup
46	23 January 2024	Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	United Arab Emirates	2–0	2–1	2023 AFC Asian Cup
47	31 January 2024	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Syria	1–0	1–1 (5–3 p)	2023 AFC Asian Cup
48	6 June 2024	Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong, China	Hong Kong	1–0	4–2	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
49				2–1
50				3–1
51	5 September 2024	Fuladshahr Stadium, Fuladshahr, Iran	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	1–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
52	19 November 2024	Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	3–2	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification