| For current information on this topic, see Iran national football team season 2009. |
| Nickname(s) | Team melli (Persian: تیم ملی) "The National Team" Lionhearts |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | FFIRI | ||
| Confederation | AFC | ||
| Head coach | |||
| Asst coach | |||
| Captain | Javad Nekounam | ||
| Most caps | Ali Daei (149) | ||
| Top scorer | Ali Daei (109) | ||
| Home stadium | Azadi Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | IRN | ||
| FIFA ranking | 63 | ||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 15 (July 2005) | ||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 122 (May 1996) | ||
| Elo ranking | 43 | ||
| Highest Elo ranking | 15 (May 2005) | ||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 73 (January 1964) | ||
|
|||
| First international | |||
(Kabul, Afghanistan; August 25, 1941) |
|||
| Biggest win | |||
(Tabriz, Iran; November 24, 2000[1]) |
|||
| Biggest defeat | |||
(Istanbul, Turkey; May 28, 1950) (Tokyo, Japan; May 28, 1958) (Nuremberg, Germany; August 27, 1972) |
|||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (First in 1978) | ||
| Best result | Round 1, 1978, 1998, 2006 | ||
| AFC Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 11 (First in 1968) | ||
| Best result | Winners, 1968, 1972, 1976 | ||
The national football team of Iran (Persian: تیم ملی فوتبال ایران) represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran. The national football team of Iran is known as Team Melli and ranks 5th in Asia, and 63rd in the world according to the current FIFA World Rankings.[2]
Contents |
History
Early years
The very first match that the Team Melli played was on January 1, 1941 away at Afghanistan.
Iran has won the Asian Cup three consecutive times (1968, 1972, 1976), a championship record to which the team has not been able to add since, although they have finished third four times.
1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina
In 1978, Iran made its first appearance in the World Cup after defeating Australia in Tehran to qualify. Iran lost two of their three group stage games against the Netherlands and Peru.[3] However, they managed to create a surprise[4] by drawing 1-1 against Scotland with a late Iraj Danaeifard goal.[5]
After Revolution
After the 1979 Revolution, football was somewhat neglected and cast aside. During the 1980s, the Iranian national team did not feature in World Cup competitions due to the Iran–Iraq War (1980-88) and domestic football suffered the inevitable effects of conflict. The national team withdrew from the Asian qualifiers for the 1982 World Cup, and refused to participate in the qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup because of having to play on neutral ground. The war and political upheavals left Iran without major club competitions until 1989 when the Qods League was established. A year later, the Qods League was renamed the Azadegan League. Despite failing to qualify for either the 1990 or the 1994 World Cups, it was during this period that a number of quality players burst onto the Iranian football scene, laying the foundation for their second stab at World Cup glory in 1998.[6] Iran could count on new talents such as Ali Daei, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Khodadad Azizi and Karim Bagheri.
1998 FIFA World Cup in France
| Iran lineup during the 1998 World Cup |
- Additional information: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (play-off AFC-OFC)
- Additional information: 1998 FIFA World Cup - Group F
In November 1997, Iran qualified for the 1998 World Cup after eliminating Australia in a close playoff series. Both games finished undecided, but Iran managed to qualify due to the away goals rule. Iran held Australia to a 1-1 draw at home, and a 2-2 draw in Melbourne; however, since Iran had scored more away goals, they were able to qualify for the Cup.[7]
At their first game of the Group F at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Iran played well against Yugoslavia, losing narrowly 1-0, only to a free kick goal by Mihajlović.[6]
Iran recorded their first World Cup victory in the second game[5], beating the United States 2-1, with Estili and Mahdavikia scoring goals for Iran. The Iran vs USA World Cup match was preheated with much excitement because of each country's political stance after the Iranian revolution. However, in an act of defiance against all forms of hatred or politics in sports, both sides presented one another with gifts and flowers and took ceremonial pictures before the match kickoff.[8] Following defeat with Iran the United States were eliminated from the World Cup.[9]
Iran played against Germany in the third game. The game was lost 2-0. The goals were scored by Bierhoff and Klinsmann.[10] The one win and two losses meant Iran became third in the final group standing and failed to make it to the next round.[11]
2002 FIFA World Cup
- Additional information: 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
Iran failed to qualify for World Cup 2002 after an aggregate defeat to the Republic of Ireland, losing 2-0 in Dublin and winning 1-0 in Tehran. The elimination saw manager Miroslav Blažević step down from the top spot to be replaced by his assistant Branko Ivanković, who stepped up from assistant coach.
2006 FIFA-World Cup in Germany
- Additional information: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
- Additional information: 2006 FIFA World Cup seeding
On June 8, 2005, Iran together with Japan became the first country to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, making it Iran's 3rd appearance on the world stage of football. The qualification round both in 2001 and 2004-05 resulted in mass celebrations, hysteria and rioting, causing internal chaos and unrest between youth and government officials. The Iran versus Japan leg of the 2006 World Cup Qualifiers in Tehran was the highest attended qualifying match among all confederations.
Iran started their 2006 FIFA World Cup appearance with high expectations from fans and media. Their first match was against Mexico in Group D. The game was level 1-1 at the half-time, but Iran lost at the end because of a defensive mistake. The final score, 3-1, was brought about by goals from Omar Bravo and Zinha for Mexico, with Yahya Golmohammadi scoring the only Iran goal.
Iran played against Portugal in the second game. The game was lost 2-0. The goals were scored by Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo (penalty). The two losses meant Iran was eliminated from the competition, before their third and final game against Angola. Iran drew 1-1 with Angola on the 21st of June 2006, Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh scoring the Iran goal.
Temporary Suspension
In November 2006, Iran was suspended by FIFA from all participation in international football, on the grounds of governmental interference in the national football association.[12] The ban lasted less than a month,[13] and as a dispensation was given to allow the Iran under-23 team to participate in the football competition of the 2006 Asian Games,[14] fixtures were unaffected.
2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
- Additional information: 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC Third Round
Iran is in the same FIFA World Cup qualifying group as Kuwait, Syria and United Arab Emirates. They will play home and away against each of the other three teams in the group 5. Ali Daei was chosen to become the new coach after Spanish coach Javier Clemente had been close to signing on as Iran's national team manager but talks collapsed when he refused to live full time in the country.[15] Ali Daei got ejected from his position as the Iranian national coach on March 29, 2009.[16] He was replaced by Afshin Ghotbi. Iran failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after ranking 4th overall in its group.[17]
Group 5
|
|
In the next stage of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Iran will play in group B.[18]
Group B
|
Political Protests
Bahrain-Iran, 21 October 2001
The 3-1 defeat by Bahrain came as a surprise. There were allegations that the authorities pressured the players to lose, or that an over-zealous mullah kept them awake by insisting that they stay up late to pray. Both were denied by Safā'i[19]. Riots occurred in Tehran (covering 54 districts), Tabriz, Kerman, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, Qazvin and Rasht[20]. Many of the riots developed into anti-clerical with chants like "Death to the Taliban, whether in Kabul or Tehran"[21] . In some areas the Basiji militia were disarmed, in other areas they were attacked with stones and molotov cocktails. Government buildings were burnt, roads were blocked sometimes with burning vehicles. Pictures of Khamene'i were also burnt[22]. The regime mobilised tanks against the rioters and Hezbollah organised gangs intimidating people off the streets and the security forces opened fire on the crowds at the Coca-Cola crossroads in Tehran[23].
Iran-United Arab Emirates, 25 October 2001
The 1-0 victory against UAE also led to riots. Iranian security now consisted of Basiji Militia, Pasdaran units, anti-riot squads, Hezbollah, a parachute regiment and some regular army units. Many of the rioters were teenagers. Many women would through away their veils, just as young male teenagers would wear masks to hide their identity[19]. Hundreds were arrested in Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz. They were treated as political prisoners and given at least two months in prison[24]. Khamene'i cancelled his visit to Isfahan.[25]
Presidential Election Protests, 2009
During the final game of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against the South Korean national football team held in Seoul on June 17, 2009, five members of the team, Javad Nekounam, Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Hosein Kaebi, and Vahid Hashemian, wore green wristbands in support of the opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in the 2009 Iranian election protests.
Home stadium
Iran play their home games at Azadi (Freedom) Stadium which was built in the mid 1970s with a capacity of over 100,000. A record was set in Azadi for the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign in Iran's home match against Japan, in which the whole stadium was filled. The government restricts Iranian women from attending football stadiums such as the ones held in Azadi stadium.
Kit
Iran's current jersey is provided by Legea. The table below shows the history of kit providers for the national football team of Iran.
| Period | Kit Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Adidas |
| 1993 | Shekari |
| 1997 | Saipa |
| 1998–2000 | Puma |
| 2001–2004 | Shekari |
| 2004–2005 | Daei Sports |
| 2006–2007 | Puma |
| 2007-2009 | Daei Sports |
| 2009–2010 | Merooj |
| 2010–2015 | Legea[26] |
Media coverage
Iran home matches (both qualifiers and friendlies) are shown live on Channel 3 and satellite television network Jame Jam 2. All matches are broadcasted with full commentary.
Tournament records
World Cup record
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Olympic Games record
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- As of 1992 Olympic Games campaign onwards U23 team played in qualification.
Asian Cup record
| AFC Asian Cup Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D* | L | GS | GA | |
| 1956 | Did Not Enter | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1960 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1964 | Withdrew | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1968 | Champions | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| 1972 | Champions | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | |
| 1976 | Champions | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1980 | Third place | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 6 | |
| 1984 | Fourth place | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 3 | |
| 1988 | Third place | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1992 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1996 | Third place | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 6 | |
| 2000 | Quarterfinals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2004 | Third place | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 8 | |
| 2007 | Quarterfinals | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | |
| Total | 3 Titles | 54 | 31 | 17 | 6 | 106 | 40 | |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
*Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Asian Games record
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi 1951 | Runners-Up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Manila 1954 | Did not enter | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Tokyo 1958 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Jakarta 1962 | Did not enter | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bangkok 1966 | Runners-Up | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Bangkok 1970 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Tehran 1974 | Champions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Bangkok 1978 | Did not enter | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| New Delhi 1982 | Quarterfinals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Seoul 1986 | Quarterfinals | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 |
| Beijing 1990 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Hirosima 1994 | Round 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Bangkok 1998 | Champions | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 7 |
| Total | 3 Titles | 47 | 30 | 5 | 12 | 86 | 34 |
- As of 2002 Asian Games Campaign onwards U23 Team participated in the Tournament.
West Asian Football Federation Championship record
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 2002 | Third Place | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 2004 | Champions | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| 2007 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 2008 | Champions | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| Total | 4 Titles | 21 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 46 | 10 |
RCD Cup/ECO Cup record
| Year | Round |
|---|---|
| 1965 | Champions |
| 1967 | Runners-Up |
| 1969 | Runners-Up |
| 1970 | Champions |
| 1974 | Runners-Up |
| 1993 | Champions |
West Asian Games
| Year | Round |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Champions |
| 2002 | Runners-Up |
| 2005 | Third place |
| 2010 |
Results and fixtures
see Iran national football team results
Previous matches
Matches from the past six months as well as any future scheduled matches.
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Competition | Result | Iranian scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2009 | Friendly | 3-1 W | 19' Borhani, 26' Bagheri, 71' Zare | ||
| January 14, 2009 | ACQ | 6-0 W | 28' Gholamnejad, 51' Bagheri, 54' Rezaei 79' Zare, 82', 83' Nouri |
||
| January 28, 2009 | ACQ | 0-0 D | |||
| February 11, 2009 | WCQ | 1-1 D | 65' Javad Nekounam | ||
| March 14, 2009 | Friendly | 1-0 W | Hossein Kazemi | ||
| March 23, 2009 | Friendly | 1-0 W | 84' Maziar Zare | ||
| March 28, 2009 | WCQ | 1-2 L | 64' Masoud Shojaei | ||
| April 1, 2009 | Friendly | 1-1 D | Mehrzad Madanchi | ||
| June 1, 2009 | Friendly | 0-1 L | |||
| June 6, 2009 | WCQ | 0-0 D | |||
| June 10, 2009 | WCQ | 1-0 W | 53' Ali Karimi | ||
| June 17, 2009 | WCQ | 1-1 D | 51' Shojaei | ||
| August 12, 2009 | Friendly | 3-2 W | 79' Shojaei, 86' Borhani, 93' Teymourian | ||
| August 31, 2009 | Friendly | 4-2 L | 35' Zandi, 82' Zandi | ||
| September 5, 2009 | Friendly | 0-0 D | |||
| November 10, 2009 | Friendly | 1-0 W | 53' Karim Ansarifard | ||
| November 14, 2009 | ACQ | 1-0 W | 72' Javad Nekounam | ||
| November 18, 2009 | Friendly | 1-1 D | 36' Teymourian | ||
| November 22, 2009 | ACQ | 0-1 L |
Next matches
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2010 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification | ||
| March 3, 2010 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
Managers
| # | Name | Nat | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hossein Sadaghiani | Aug 1941–Sep 1948 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Alfred James Gibel | Sep 1948–Sep 1949 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | Hossein Sadaghiani | Sep 1949–Dec 1950 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 4 | Mostafa Salimi | Jan 1951–Mar 1956 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Silver Medal at 1951 Asian Games | |
| 5 | Masayufskei | Mar 1956– Aug 1957 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 6 | Ferenc Mészáros | Aug 1957– Dec 1959 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 7 | Hossein Fekri | Dec 1961– Mar 1966 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | Qualification to 1964 Summer Olympics | |
| 8 | György Szűcs | Mar 1966– Dec 1966 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | Silver Medal at 1966 Asian Games | |
| 9 | Hossein Fekri | Jan 1967–Feb 1968 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 10 | Mahmoud Bayati | Mar 1968–Jun 1968 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Winner of 1968 Asian Cup | |
| 11 | Zdravko Rajkov | Jul 1968– May 1970 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 12 | Mohammad Bayati | Jun 1970–Sep 1970 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 13 | Igor Netto | Oct 1970– Dec 1970 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 14 | Parviz Dehdari | Jan 1971– Apr 1972 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Winner of 1971 Cyrus International Tournament | |
| 15 | Mohammad Ranjbar | May 1972- Jun 1972 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | Winner of 1972 Asian Cup | |
| 16 | Mahmoud Bayati | Jul 1972– Mar 1974 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 17 | Frank O'Farrell | Apr 1974– Apr 1976 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | Gold Medal at 1974 Asian Games, Winner of 1974 Iran International Tournament, Qualification to 1976 Summer Olympics | |
| 18 | Heshmat Mohajerani | 5 May 1976– Dec 1978 | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | Winner of 1976 Asian Cup, Quarter Finals of 1976 Summer Olympics, Qualification to 1978 WC | |
| 19 | Hassan Habibi | Nov 1979– Oct 1980 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | Qualification to 1980 Summer Olympics,Third place at 1980 Asian Cup | |
| 20 | Asghar Sharafi | Nov 1980- Aug 1981 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Parviz Aboutaleb | Sep 1981- Mar 1982 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Naser Ebrahimi | Apr 1982- Sep 1982 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Jalal Cheraghpour | Oct 1982- May 1983 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 24 | Ahmad Tousi | Jun 1983- Mar 1984 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Mahmoud Yavari | Apr 1984- Oct 1984 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 26 | Nasser Ebrahimi | Oct 1984– Feb 1985 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Fourth place at 1984 Asian Cup | |
| 27 | Asgharzadeh | Mar 1985– Mar 1986 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 28 | Parviz Dehdari | Apr 1986– Oct 1987 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 29 | Mahmoud Yavari | Nov 1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Parviz Dehdari | Nov 1987-Feb 1989 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | Third place at 1988 Asian Cup | |
| 31 | Reza Vatankhah | Mar 1989 -Apr 1989 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 32 | Mehdi Monajati | May 1989 - Sep 1989 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 33 | Ali Parvin | Oct 1989– Nov 1993 | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | Gold Medal at 1990 Asian Games, Winner of ECO Cup 1993 | |
| 34 | Stanko Poklepović | Apr 1994– Oct 1994 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 35 | Hassan Habibi | Mar 1994- Oct 1995 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 36 | Mayeli Kohan | Mar 1995– Nov 1997 | 40 | 24 | 10 | 6 | Third place at 1996 Asian Cup | |
| 37 | Valdeir Vieira ( Temp) | Nov 1997 - Dec 1997 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Qualification to 1998 FIFA World Cup | |
| 38 | Tomislav Ivić | Jan 1998 - May 1998 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 39 | Jalal Talebi | May 1998 - Aug 1998 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Iran's historical first win at the FIFA World Cup | |
| 40 | Mansour Pourheidari | Sep 1998 - Feb 2000 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | Gold Medal at 1998 Asian Games | |
| 41 | Jalal Talebi | Mar 2000 - Oct 2000 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 3 | Quarterfinals at 2000 Asian Cup, Winner of 2000 WAFF | |
| 42 | Ademar Braga (Temp) | Nov 2000 - Feb 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Miroslav Blažević | Mar 2001 - Nov 2001 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 44 | Branko Ivanković | Feb 2002 - Sep 2002 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 45 | Shahrokhi | Feb 2003 - Sep 2003 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 46 | Branko Ivanković | Oct 2003 - Jul 2006 | 41 | 28 | 6 | 7 | Winner of 2004 WAFF, Third place at 2004 Asian Cup, Qualification to 2006 WC |
|
| 47 | Zolfagharnasab (B Team) | 9 April 2005 - 20 April 2005 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Third place at 2005 Islamic Solidarity Games | |
| 48 | Amir Ghalenoei | 16 Jul 2006 -Sep 2007 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 1 | Quarterfinals at 2007 Asian Cup | |
| 49 | Mazlomi (B Team) | 16 June 2007 - 24 June 2007 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Winner of 2007 WAFF Championship, | |
| 50 | Ebrahimzadeh (Temp) | Jan 2008 - 7 Mar 2008 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 51 | Ali Daei | 3 Mar 2008 - 8 Mar 2009 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 3 | Winner of 2008 WAFF Championship | |
| 52 | Rutemöller (temp) | 29 Mar 2009 - 5 Apr 2009 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 53 | Mayeli Kohan | 5 April 2009– 22 April 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 54 | Afshin Ghotbi | 22 Apr 2009 - | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Coaching Staff
| Head Coach | |
| Assistant Coach | |
| Goalkeeping Coach | |
| Advicer | |
| Physiotherapist | |
| Team Doctors | |
| Team Manager |
Players
Current squad
Iran's 25 players for the match against Jordan.
| # | Name | DOB | Club | Caps (goals) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||
| 1 | Mehdi Rahmati | February 2, 1983 (age 26) | 40 (0) | ||
| 12 | Vahid Talebloo | May 26, 1982 (age 27) | 12 (0) | ||
| - | Sosha Makani | November 18, 1986 (age 23) | 0 (0) | ||
| Defenders | |||||
| 34 | Khosro Heydari | September 14, 1983 (age 26) | 11 (0) | ||
| 4 | Jalal Hosseini | February 3, 1982 (age 27) | 40 (2) | ||
| 5 | Hadi Aghili | January 15, 1981 (age 28) | 38 (3) | ||
| 20 | Mohammad Nosrati | January 10, 1982 (age 27) | 66 (4) | ||
| 13 | Hossein Kaebi | September 23, 1985 (age 24) | 87 (2) | ||
| - | Farshid Talebi | Aug 24, 1981 (age 28) | 1 (0) | ||
| - | Amir Hossein Sadeghi | September 6, 1981 (age 28) | 9 (0) | ||
| - | Amir Hossein Feshangchi | [[]], 1987 (age 22) | 1 (0) | ||
| Midfielders | |||||
| 25 | Ehsan Hajisafi | February 25, 1990 (age 19) | 18 (1) | ||
| 14 | Andranik Teymourian | March 6, 1983 (age 26) | 40 (4) | ||
| 7 | Mehrzad Madanchi | January 10, 1985 (age 24) | 38 (6) | ||
| 28 | Pejman Nouri | July 13, 1980 (age 29) | 19 (2) | ||
| 64 | Iman Mobali | November 3, 1982 (age 27) | 49 (1) | ||
| 60 | Hashem Beikzadeh | January 22, 1984 (age 25) | 10 (1) | ||
| - | Majid Gholamnejad | June 18, 1983 (age 26) | 17 (1) | ||
| 41 | Mohammad Nouri | January 9, 1983 (age 26) | 9 (3) | ||
| 35 | Mohammad Reza Khalatbari | September 14, 1983 (age 26) | 23 (0) | ||
| 65 | Javad Kazemian | April 23, 1981 (age 28) | 41 (2) | ||
| Strikers | |||||
| - | Mojtaba Zarei | February 29, 1984 (age 25) | 2 (0) | ||
| 50 | Arash Borhani | Sept 14, 1983 (age 26) | 36 (10) | ||
| 32 | Karim Ansarifard | April 3, 1990 (age 19) | 4 (1) | ||
| 24 | Milad Meydavoudi | January 1, 1985 (age 24) | 15 (3) | ||
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the Iran squad within the last twelve months:
| Name | DOB | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut | Most recent callup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||
| Memarzadeh | 9 January 1983 | 0 (0) | v - | v Iceland, 10 November 2009 | |
| Defenders | |||||
| Mohsen Bengar | 30 July 1980 | 12 (0) | v Kuwait ,26 March 2008 | v Senegal, 1 April 2009 | |
| Alenemeh | 1 January 1982 | 6 (1) | v Iraq,16 June 2007 | v Senegal, 1 April 2009 | |
| Sheys Rezaei | 21 March 1984 | 8 (1) | v Iraq, 4 October 2006 | v Senegal, 1 April 2009 | |
| Hassan Ashjari | 18 February 1979 | 12 (0) | v Ecuador, December 2008 | v Uzbekistan, 5 September 2009 | |
| Midfielders | |||||
| Maziar Zare | 22 December 1984 | 14 (3) | v Iraq, 16 June 2007 | v Saudi Arabia, 28 March 2009 | |
| Rezaei | 6 March 1984 | 23 (7) | v Zambia, 26 May 2008 | v North Korea, 6 June 2009 | |
| Maysam Baou | 19 September 1983 | 5 (0) | v Iraq, 16 June 2007 | v China, 18 December 2008 | |
| Fereydoon Zandi | 26 April 1979 | 28 (5) | v Bahrain, February 2005 | v Uzbekistan, 5 September 2009 | |
| Hossein Kazemi | 3 October 1979 | 12 (1) | v UAE, August 2006 | v Uzbekistan, 5 September 2009 | |
| Farzad Ashoubi | 6 April 1980 | 6 (0) | v Iraq, July 2007 | v Uzbekistan, 5 September 2009 | |
| Amir Mohebi | 0 (0) | v - | v Iceland, 10 November 2009 | ||
| Nekounam | 7 September 1980 | 108 (24) | v ,2000 | v Macedonia, 18 November 2009 | |
| Masoud Shojaei | 9 June 1984 | 28 (3) | v Laos,November 2004 | v Macedonia, 18 November 2009 | |
| Strikers | |||||
| Mohsen Khalili | 14 February 1981 | 10 (1) | v Qatar, 10 January 2008 | v North Korea, 6 June 2009 | |
| Hadi Norouzi | 19 July 1985 | 2 (0) | v Bosnia, 12 August 2009 | v Uzbekistan, 5 September 2009 | |
| Farhad Majidi | 3 June 1977 | 43 (10) | v ,1996 | v Jordan, 14 November 2009 | |
Previous squads
World Cups
Asian Cups
- Asian Cup 2007 squad
- Asian Cup 2004 squad
- Asian Cup 2000 squad
- Asian Cup 1996 squad
- Asian Cup 1992 squad
Most capped players
As of 22 November, 2009[update], the players with the most caps for Iran are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Daei | 1993–2006 | 149 | 109 |
| 2 | Ali Karimi | 1998–2009 | 111 | 35 |
| 3 | Mehdi Mahdavikia | 1996–2009 | 111 | 12 |
| 4 | Javad Nekounam* | 2000–Present | 108 | 24 |
| 5 | Hossein Kaebi* | 2002-Present | 87 | 2 |
| 6 | Karim Bagheri | 1993–2009 | 86 | 50 |
| 7 | Hamid Reza Estili | 1990–2000 | 82 | 12 |
| 8 | Javad Zarincheh | 1987–2000 | 80 | 1 |
| 9 | Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh | 1987–1998 | 79 | 0 |
| 10 | Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht* | 2000-2008 | 77 | 14 |
The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
* denotes a player still playing or available for selection.
| width="50%" align="left" valign="top" |
Top goalscorers
As of 18 November, 2009[update], the players with the most goals for Iran are:
| # | Name | Career | Goals | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Daei | 1993–2006 | 109 | 149 |
| 2 | Karim Bagheri | 1993–2009 | 50 | 86 |
| 3 | Ali Karimi | 1998–2009 | 36 | 111 |
| 4 | Javad Nekounam* | 2000–present | 24 | 108 |
| 5 | Gholam Hossein Mazloomi | 1969–1977 | 19 | 40 |
| = | Farshad Pious | 1984–1994 | 19 | 34 |
| 6 | Ali Asghar Modir Roosta | 1990–1998 | 18 | 32 |
| 7 | Vahid Hashemian | 1998–2009 | 15 | 50 |
| 8 | Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht* | 2000–2008 | 14 | 77 |
| 9 | Mehdi Mahdavikia | 1996–2009 | 13 | 111 |
| = | Ali Parvin | 1970–1980 | 13 | 76 |
| = | Hassan Rowshan | 1974–1980 | 13 | 39 |
| 10 | Parviz Ghelichkhani | 1964–1977 | 12 | 64 |
The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
*denotes a player still playing or available for selection.
|}
Player drain to other countries
The following were Iranian-born players who chose other national teams:
Senior Level:
Youth Level:
- Navid Dayyani
- Denmark U17 - Alí Manouchehri
- Chile U23 - Arash Talebinejad
- Sweden U21
The following players were eligible to play for Iran but chose other national teams:
The following players are still eligible to play for Iran:
- Ashkan Dejagah
- Germany U21 - Agil Etemadi
- Netherlands U19 - Reza Ghoochannejhad
- Netherlands U19 - Aria Jasuru Hasegawa
- Japan U21 - Shervin Radjabali-Fardi
- Germany U19
Iran captains
| # | Reign | Player | Caps (Goals) | Years Active | Matches As Captain(Goals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-1998 | Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh | 79 (0) | 1988-1998 | ?(0) |
| 2 | 1998-1999 | Nader Mohammadkhani | 64 (4) | 1988-1999 | ?(?) |
| 3 | 1999-2000 | Hamid Reza Estili | 82 (12) | 1990-2000 | ?(?) |
| 4 | 2000-2006 | Ali Daei | 149 (109) | 1993-2006 | ?(?) |
| 5 | 2006-2009 | Mehdi Mahdavikia | 111 (13) | 1996-2009 | 20(1) |
| 6 | 2009-Present | Javad Nekounam | 108 (24) | 2000-Present | 10(4) |
Iran World Cup captains
| # | Matches As Captain | Player | World Cup Played As A Captain(Goals) | Years Active | Caps(Goals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3(0) | Ali Parvin | Argentina 1978 | 1970-1980 | 76(13) |
| 2 | 2(0) | Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh | France 1998 | 1987-1998 | 79(0) |
| 3 | 2(0) | Ali Daei | Germany 2006 | 1993-2006 | 149(109) |
Iran Asian Cup captains
| # | Matches As Captain | Player | Asian Cup Played As A Captain | Years Active | Caps(Goals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | ?(?) | Sirous Ghayeghran | Japan 1992 | 1986-1992 | 40(6) |
| 8 | ?(?) | Mojtaba Moharrami | UAE 1996 | 1988-1996 | 37(5) |
| 9 | 4(2) | Hamid Reza Estili | Lebanon 2000 | 1990-2000 | 82(12) |
| 10 | 6(3) | Ali Daei | China 2004 | 1993-2006 | 149(109) |
| 11 | 4(0) | Mehdi Mahdavikia | Asian Cup 2007 | 1996-2009 | 111(13) |
Honours
Asian Cup: 3 Times
Asian Games:3 Times
West Asian Football Federation Championship:4 Times
See also
- Football in Iran
- Iran national futsal team
- Iran national under-23 football team
- Iran women's national football team
References
- ^ Iran World Cup 2006 team Profile from Football.co.uk
- ^ http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=irn/ranking/gender=m/index.html
- ^ Iran in World Cup 1978
- ^ BBC SPORT | WORLD CUP 2002 | Iranian football facts
- ^ a b FIFA World Cup 2006 Iran Team Overview
- ^ a b The History of Soccer [Football] in Iran - Team Melli :: Iran Visitor
- ^ A third half for Iranian football, by Christian Bromberger
- ^ France 1998 World Cup: 1st Round - Day 12 Match Reports
- ^ World Cup: U.S. eliminated from Cup after 2-1 loss to Iran
- ^ FIFA.com - 1998 FIFA World Cup France
- ^ France 1998 World Cup: 1st Round - Day 16 Match Reports
- ^ "FIFA suspends Iran Football Federation". FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,126229,00.html. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
- ^ "FIFA to lift Iran ban: Blatter". the-AFC.com. http://the-afc.com/english/media/default.asp?mnsection=media§ion=newsDetails&newsID=7658. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
- ^ "FIFA President announces temporary lifting of Iran ban". the-AFC.com. http://the-afc.com/english/media/default.asp?mnsection=media§ion=newsDetails&newsID=7543. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
- ^ News - Ali Daei named new Iran coach - Soccerway
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/30/iran-football-ali-daei
- ^ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/asia/standings/index.html
- ^ "FWCQ fourth round draw mechanics". The-AFC.com. 2008-06-12. http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167182448.html. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- ^ a b Kayhan, p14, No.881, 7 November 2001
- ^ Mojahed, p8, No. 563, 30 October 2001
- ^ Kayhan, p1, No.880, 31 October 2001
- ^ Kayhan, p9, No.880, 31 October 2001
- ^ Mojahed, p7, No. 563, 30 October 2001
- ^ Mojahed, p9, No. 564, 6 November 2001
- ^ Zones of proletarian Development by Mastaneh Shah-Shija, Openmute 2008
- ^ "لگا، اسپانسر جديد تيم ملي ايران". Goal.com. September 2009. http://www.goal.com/iran/news/1825/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/2009/09/19/1510635/%D9%84%DA%AF%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%B1-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86.
External links
- Official Website of IR Iran Football Federation
- RSSSF archive of results 1941-
- RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
- Iran's archive of results and elo rating points
| Preceded by 1964 Israel |
Asian Champions 1968 (First title) 1972 (Second title) 1976 (Third title) |
Succeeded by 1980 Kuwait |
| Preceded by Korea Republic Taiwan |
Asian Games Champions 1974 (First title) |
Succeeded by Korea DPR Korea Republic |
| Preceded by Korea Republic |
Asian Games Champions 1990 (Second title) |
Succeeded by Uzbekistan |
| Preceded by Uzbekistan |
Asian Games Champions 1998 (Third title) 2002 (Fourth title) |
Succeeded by Qatar |
| Preceded by Inaugural Champions |
WAFF Champions 2000(First title) |
Succeeded by 2002 |
| Preceded by 2002 |
WAFF Champions 2004 (Second title) 2007 (Third title) 2008 (Fourth title) |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Inaugural Champions |
ECO Cup Champions 1965 (First title) |
Succeeded by 1967 Turkey |
| Preceded by 1969 Turkey |
ECO Cup Champions 1970 (Second title) |
Succeeded by 1974 Turkey |
| Preceded by 1974 Turkey |
ECO Cup Champions 1993 (Third title) |
Succeeded by Last edition |
| Olympics Squads Navigation Boxes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asian Games Squads Navigation Boxes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AFC Asian Cup Squads Navigation Boxes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)




