The Iran national football team (Persian: تیم ملی فوتبال مردان ایران, romanized:Team-e Melli-ye Futbâl-e Mardân-e Irân), recognised as IR Iran by FIFA since 2018, represents Iran in men's international senior football and is governed by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI).

At the continental level, Iran has won three AFC Asian Cup championships in 1968, 1972, and 1976. They have also won three Asian Games in 1974, 1990, and 1998. The nation's best performance at the world level was reaching the quarter-finals at the 1976 Summer Olympics. At the FIFA World Cup, Iran have qualified seven times (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026) but have never progressed beyond the group stages; they have however, won three matches: against the United States in 1998, Morocco in 2018, and Wales in 2022. At the regional level, Iran has won four WAFF Championships and one CAFA Nations Cup. The team also won intercontinental AFC–OFC Challenge Cup in 2003.

History

Early years

The very first Iran football team that traveled to Baku in 1926

The Iranian Football Federation was founded in 1920. In 1926, Tehran XI (selected players from Tehran Club, Toofan, and Armenian Sports Club) traveled across the border to Baku, Soviet Union; this was the first away football match for an Iranian team. This Tehran Select team is the predecessor of Iran's national football team.

The first match that Team Melli played was on 23 August 1941, away at Kabul in a 1–0 win against British India while Iran's first FIFA international match was on 25 August 1941, away at Afghanistan.

Iran won three AFC Asian Cups in 1968, 1972, and 1976, the latter being their most recent Asian Cup win. In 1978, Iran made its first appearance in the FIFA World Cup after defeating Australia in Tehran. They lost two of three group stage matches against the Netherlands and Peru, and only earned one point by drawing Scotland, in a match that saw Iraj Danaeifard cancel out an own goal scored by Andranik Eskandarian for a score of 1–1.

Iran playing in the 1978 World Cup against Scotland in Córdoba, Argentina

After the Iranian Revolution

After the Iranian Revolution, football was somewhat neglected. 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 embraced the inevitable effects of conflict. The national team withdrew from the Asian qualifiers for the 1982 FIFA World Cup and refused to participate in the qualifiers for the 1986 FIFA 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 both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, it was said that during this period, a number of quality players burst onto the Iranian football scene laying the foundation for third place in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup (victories in that tournament included a 3–0 victory against Saudi Arabia and a 6–2 victory against South Korea) and their second stab at World Cup glory in 1998.

1998–2006

On 29 November 1997, Iran qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup after eliminating Australia in a close playoff series. After being tied 3–3 on aggregate, Iran advanced due to the away goals rule; Iran held Australia to a 1–1 draw at home, and a 2–2 draw in Melbourne.

At their first game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Yugoslavia, Iran lost 1–0 to a free kick by Siniša Mihajlović. Iran recorded their first World Cup victory in the second game beating and eliminating the United States 2–1 with Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scoring goals for Iran. The Iran-US World Cup match was preheated with certain excitement because of each country's political stance after the Iranian revolution and the Iran hostage crisis. 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. Iran played against Germany in the third game, losing 2–0 courtesy of goals from Oliver Bierhoff and Jürgen Klinsmann, finishing third in the group with 3 points.

Iran finished first in the group stage of the 2000 AFC Asian Cup but lost to South Korea in the quarter-finals. They failed to qualify for 2002 FIFA World Cup, held in Asia for the first time, 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.

After qualifying to the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Iran was drawn with Thailand, Oman and Japan in the tournament. Iran finished second in the group. In the quarter-final clash against South Korea, Iran won 4–3. They then lost to host China on penalty kicks, and won against Bahrain 4–2 to finish third place in the tournament.

Iran scores against Angola at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On 8 June 2005, Iran and Japan became the first countries other than hosts Germany to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The match between the two countries in Tehran, played on 24 March 2005, was the highest attended qualifying match among all confederations. The match ended with five fans dead and several others injured as they left the Azadi Stadium at the end of the match.

Iran started their 2006 FIFA World Cup appearance in Germany with a match against North America's Mexico in Group D. Being 1–1 at half-time, defensive mistakes led to a Mexican 3–1 win, with goals from Omar Bravo and Sinha. Yahya Golmohammadi scored the only Iranian goal. Team Melli played against Portugal in the second game, losing 2–0. The goals were scored by Deco and a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo. Iran were eliminated from the competition before their third and final game against Angola, a 1–1 draw.

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. The ban lasted less than a month and as a dispensation was given to allow the Iran under-23 team to participate in the football competition of the 2006 Asian Games, fixtures were unaffected.

2007–2014

The IRIFF appointed Amir Ghalenoei as manager of Iran on 17 July 2006 to succeed Branko Ivanković. After finishing first in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifying round two points ahead of South Korea, Iran placed first in the group stage of the final tournament in Malaysia, eventually losing to their qualifying opponents in a penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals. His contract was not renewed and Team Melli was left with a caretaker manager for several months.

Then-leading international goalscorer Ali Daei was chosen to become the new manager after Spanish coach Javier Clemente had been closer to signing on as Iran's national team manager, when talks collapsed when he refused to live full-time in the country. Iran was placed with Kuwait, Syria and United Arab Emirates in the third round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Ali Daei resigned from his position as the Iranian national coach on 29 March 2009, replaced by Afshin Ghotbi. Iran failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after finishing fourth overall in its group.

During the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Korea in Seoul on 17 June 2009, seven members of the team wore green wristbands in support of the Iranian Green Movement during the 2009 Iranian election protests. Initial rumors and false reports were that all seven players were banned for life by the Iranian Football Federation, however, state-run media claimed that all seven had "retired". On 24 June 2009, FIFA wrote to Iran's Football Federation asking for clarification on the situation. The Iranian Football Federation replied that no disciplinary action has been taken against any player.

Afshin Ghotbi renewed his contract until the end of 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the team qualified for the tournament with 13 points as group winners. During the final qualification match against South Korea, several Iranian players started the match wearing green armbands or wristbands, a symbol of protest at the outcome of the Iranian presidential election. Most removed them at half-time. The newspaper Iran reported that Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Hosein Kaebi and Vahid Hashemian had received life bans from the Iranian FA for the gesture. However, the Iranian FA denied this claim in a response to FIFA's inquiry saying that "the comments in foreign media are nothing but lies and a mischievous act." Head coach Afshin Ghotbi also confirmed that it was a rumour and the Iranian FA "has not taken any official stand on this issue."

Afshin Ghotbi qualified Iran for the 2011 Asian Cup and finished second in the 2010 WAFF Championship just a few months before the Asian Cup. Iran were able to gain all nine possible points in the group stage of the Asian Cup but after an extra time goal from South Korea, Iran were yet again eliminated from the quarter-finals.

On 4 April 2011, former Real Madrid manager Carlos Queiroz agreed to a two-and-a-half-year deal to coach the Iranian national team until the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Under Queiroz, Iran began their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign successfully, defeating the Maldives 4–0 in the first leg of their second round of qualifiers. After winning 5–0 on aggregate, Iran advanced to the third round of qualifiers where they were drawn with Indonesia, Qatar and Bahrain.

Iran's squad in July 2011 against Maldives. Manager: Carlos Queiroz. Standing left to right: Aghili, Hosseini, Haddadifar, Ansarifard, Zare, Pooladi; sitting left to right: Heydari, Norouzi, Rahmati, Khalatbari, Karimi.

Iran topped their group by defeating Bahrain 6–0 at home in the Azadi Stadium as well as inviting former German youth international Ashkan Dejagah who scored twice on his debut against Qatar. After a 4–1 win at Indonesia, Iran qualified for the final round of direct qualifiers, the fourth round. In the fourth round, Iran played South Korea, Qatar, Uzbekistan and Lebanon in their group. Queiroz made new foreign-based additions to his squad, adding players such as Reza Ghoochannejhad.

Iran started the fourth round of Asian qualifiers with a 1–0 win in Uzbekistan. Team Melli then drew Qatar and lost in Lebanon before defeating South Korea at the Azadi on 16 October with a goal from captain Javad Nekounam. After a 1–0 loss in Tehran against Uzbekistan, Iran defeated Qatar 1–0 in Doha and Lebanon 4–0 at home. In their last qualification match, Iran defeated South Korea 1–0 in Ulsan Munsu with a goal from Ghoochannejhad, clinching their ticket to Brazil as group winners with 16 points. Thus, Iran became the third team that Queiroz has managed to qualify for the World Cup, having reached the 2002 edition with South Africa and the 2010 edition with Portugal, leading the latter to a knockout stage finish. Iran continued their winning streak, securing qualification to the 2015 Asian Cup months later as well.

Iran v Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil

Since Queiroz's role as manager of the Iranian national team, he has introduced players from the Iranian diaspora to the national squad. These players include German-Iranians Daniel Davari and Ashkan Dejagah, Dutch-Iranian Reza Ghoochannejhad, Swedish-Iranians Omid Nazari and Saman Ghoddos, and Iranian-American Steven Beitashour among others.

Iran competed in Group F alongside Argentina, Nigeria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prior to the tournament, they founded the Central Asian Football Association.

In the opening match of the tournament on 16 June, Iran drew Nigeria 0–0 making it their first clean sheet in the World Cup. In their next match, Iran was defeated by Argentina 1–0 with a late goal from Lionel Messi and received praise after holding Argentina for 90 minutes while creating some attacking opportunities of their own. Iran was eliminated from the tournament in their next game, a 3–1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Iran's lone goal was scored by Reza Ghoochannejhad. After the tournament, Queiroz declared he would resign as manager of Iran but later switched and extended his contract until the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Late 2010s

Iran qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup as group winners where Team Melli were the highest ranked seed. Iran faced Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE in Group C. With the second highest number of fans in the tournament after hosts Australia, the Iranians defeated Bahrain 2–0 with limited preparations. A defensive-minded Iran then defeated Qatar 1–0 thanks to a Sardar Azmoun goal before defeating UAE by the same scoreline to reach the top of their group. In the quarter-finals Iran faced Iraq who they had beaten weeks prior in a friendly match. Having received a controversial red card in the first half, Iran competed with ten men, managing to score goals late in extra time to draw the match 3–3. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Iran lost 7–6.

Iran's squad against Portugal in Mordovia Arena at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Iran began their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with friendly matches against Chile and Sweden in March 2015. Queiroz resigned from his managerial post thereafter due to disagreements with the Iranian Football Federation. On 14 April 2015, Iran were drawn with Oman, India, Turkmenistan and Guam in the second round of qualifiers. On 26 April, Queiroz announced that he would continue as the manager of Iran for their 2018 World Cup campaign. Iran became the second team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after a 2–0 win at home over Uzbekistan on 12 June 2017. They also clinched first place in their qualification group after South Korea's defeat to Qatar.

Iran won the first match against Morocco after Aziz Bouhaddouz scoring an own goal. They then lost against Spain with a goal scored by Diego Costa, with video assistant referees denying an Iranian equalizer. The third match against Portugal ended in a draw after a penalty scored by Karim Ansarifard in the stoppage time, while Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty when Iran was trailing, with Alireza Beiranvand making a decisive save and because Morocco could only manage a 2–2 draw to Spain, Iran were eliminated. Iran's four points is the most received in any World Cup appearance.

Iran's squad against China at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Azmoun and Taremi played a key role in the front line of the team in these years.

Having qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup earlier, Iran was drawn into group D, where they shared fate with Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen. Iran opened their tournament against Yemen, nearly conceding a goal early but after 10 minutes, Iran regained the ground and proved more dominant in certain aspects, thrashing Yemen 5–0. A 2–0 win over the Vietnamese side gave Iran direct qualification to the knockout stage. Iran ended their group stage with a goalless draw over neighbor Iraq and took first place. After the group stage, Iran encountered Oman, with a defending mistake almost costing Iran's chances but Ahmed Mubarak Al-Mahaijri's penalty was saved by Alireza Beiranvand. Iran then defeated Oman 2–0 to reach the last eight. In the quarter-finals against a defensive China, Iran outclassed the Chinese 3–0 to meet Japan in the semi-finals. Iran missed the opportunity to reach the final once again when they fell 3–0 with all three goals scored in second half.

Early 2020s

Iran's squad against England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Iran was the highest-ranked team to be seeded in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, being drawn into the second round where they would deal with two Arab countries, Iraq and Bahrain, along with Cambodia and Hong Kong. Iran, under new Belgian manager Marc Wilmots, began with a 2–0 away win over Hong Kong. After the death of Sahar Khodayari, the 14–0 win over Cambodia allowed select Iranian women to enter the stadium for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Their next away encounters against Bahrain and Iraq went on to be consecutive defeats which Iran lost 0–1 and 1–2, respectively. Following two consecutive draws between Iraq and Bahrain, Iran was left with the possibility of being eliminated from the World Cup outright in the second round, leading to the sacking of Marc Wilmots.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Iran forced the remaining fixtures to be played without spectators in June 2021, forcing Iran to play their remaining games in Bahrain under new coach Dragan Skočić; but with Bahrain losing its home support as an advantage, and Iraq assured a place in the final phase, Iran was able to stage a comeback, occupying first place and, together with Iraq, progressed to the final phase.

Iran became the thirteenth team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a 1–0 win at home over Iraq on 27 January 2022. In March 2022, Iranian women were again banned from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier. Iran's World Cup preparation friendly match against Canada at BC Place in June 2022 was cancelled by the Canadian Soccer Association amid opposition and mounting criticism, namely in regards to the Iranian government's role in shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.

By the start of the World Cup in Qatar, Iran was the highest ranked team from Asia. In October 2022, calls were made to ban the Iranian national team from the World Cup for the Iranian government's blocking of Iranian women from their stadiums, their supplying of weapons to Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, and the treatment towards protesters during the Mahsa Amini protests. However, Iran started its World Cup campaign with a nightmare, losing 2–6 to England in the opening game as Iran suffered the worst ever loss in its FIFA World Cup history. The Iranian team notably made headlines in their opening match against England after refusing to sing the national anthem in solidarity with the Mahsa Amini protests, with some Iranian supporters cheering against their own team or boycotting their team amidst the ongoing protests as they felt the team was representing the government.

In the following match against Wales, amidst the boos and whistles from some of the Iranian supporters during the playing of the national anthem, the Iranian players were filmed singing the national anthem before defeating Wales 2–0 for their first-ever win over a European nation at the World Cup, with some protestors having their pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flags and Women, Life, Freedom banners snatched from them by pro-government fans and stadium security at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Protesters were harassed by government supporters with some protesters being detained by Qatari police, while stadium security confirmed they were given orders to confiscate anything but the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Documents obtained by Iran International showed Iran was coordinating secret efforts with Qatar to control who attends the World Cup and restrict any signs of dissent.

Ahead of Iran's final group stage match against the United States, the Iranian players were allegedly called in to a meeting with members of the IRGC and were threatened with violence and torture for their families if they did not sing the national anthem or joined the protests against the Iranian regime. During the match, the Iranian players sang the national anthem again before losing to the United States 1–0 for the first time in their history and thereby being knocked out of the tournament, being the only team to finish third in the group with three points instead of four. Many Iranians celebrated the defeat and one Iranian man was killed by security forces in Bandar-e Anzali after honking his car horn in celebration. Another Iranian fan was also arrested by Qatari police after he was wearing a shirt with the Woman, Life, Freedom slogan.

During the FIFA World Cup as well as the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the Iranian government reportedly sent paid members of the Basij and IRGC to cheer for the team in the stands. Iran were eventually knocked out in the semi-final of the Asian Cup by hosts Qatar. After the game, Iranian officials reportedly arrested ten teenagers in the city of Javanrud for celebrating the team's elimination from the tournament.

Late 2020s

Iran qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 25 March 2025 following a 2–2 home draw against Uzbekistan in the third round of AFC qualification. They were placed in pot 2 for the World Cup draw and were subsequently drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Prior to the draw, a group stage match scheduled to be played in Seattle was designated as a "Pride Match" by the City of Seattle to coincide with the city's annual Pride celebrations and to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. Following the draw, the fixture was confirmed to be the match between Iran and Egypt. Both Iran and Egypt are countries where homosexuality is criminalized under domestic law, with Iran in particular having imposed capital punishment in certain cases. The Iranian Football Federation and the Egyptian Football Association objected to the match's designation; however, FIFA and local organizers confirmed that associated LGBTQ+ events would proceed, and that rainbow flags would be permitted inside the stadium.

In January 2026, multiple Iranian footballers and athletes were killed by the Iranian regime during the 2026 Iran massacres amid the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, including former Tractor Sazi F.C. midfielder Mojtaba Tarshiz, prompting former Iran national team captain Masoud Shojaei to criticise FIFA for its silence over the killing of Iranian athletes during protests, while then-captain Mehdi Taremi expressed solidarity with the Iranian people. Following the massacres, activists called on FIFA to ban the Iranian national team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ali Karimi, a former footballer for the Iran national team, along with a coalition of prominent Iranians, wrote an open letter to FIFA and all its member associations, calling on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to speak up on the protest deaths. Following the protests and ensuing crackdown, the Spanish Football Federation reportedly pulled out of a planned friendly match with Iran. Amid the Iran war, Sardar Azmoun was reportedly expelled from the national team after posting a picture of himself with the ruler of Dubai on social media.

Team image

Nicknames

The Iranian national team has received several nicknames by supporters and media. The most common one used is Team Melli (meaning "National Team" in Persian). Although the Iranian supporters have popularized Team Melli, other nicknames for the team include Shiran e Iran, ("Lions of Iran"), Shir Delan ("Lion Hearts") and "Princes of Persia" (used since AFC Asian Cup 2011). Iran's slogan for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was Honour of Persia, selected in an internet poll held by FIFA. A more recently used nickname, due to the presence of the Asiatic cheetah on the 2014 World Cup jersey, is Yuzpalangan which means "The Cheetahs"; the team mascot "Yupa" is also a cheetah, although this has been seen as a government propaganda ploy to wane people away from the lion nickname due to the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun.

Kits and crests

Traditionally, Iran national football team's home kit is white, and the away kit is red. Sometimes, green shirts with white shorts and red socks are used.

Kit suppliers

The table below shows the history of kit suppliers for the Iranian national football team.

Kit supplierPeriod
Adidas1978
Puma1980
Amini1981–1993
Shekari1993–1998
Puma1998–2000
Shekari2000–2003
Daei Sport2003–2006
Puma2006–2007
Merooj2007–2008
Daei Sport2008–2009
Legea2009–2012
Uhlsport2012–2016
Givova2016
Adidas2016–2019
Uhlsport2019–2022
Merooj2022–present

Sponsorship

On 1 February 2014, Iran announced the addition of the endangered Asiatic cheetah on their 2014 FIFA World Cup kits to bring attention to its conservation efforts.

Rivalries

Iran and Iraq are neighboring rivals. According to the Malay Mail, "Emotions are always high when Iran and Iraq meet on the football pitch". In the contemporary era, especially during the reign of Saddam Hussein, the two countries had worsened relations and fought the Iran–Iraq War for 8 years. In 2001, for the first time in decades, an Iran-Iraq match was not held at a neutral venue. The rivalry was escalated after Iraq knocked Iran out of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in controversial circumstances. Iran leads the series with 18 wins, 7 draws and 6 losses.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are ideological rivals. The game was ranked eighth in Goal.com's 2010 list of "Football's 10 Greatest International Rivalries". and ninth in Bleacher Report's 2014 list of "International Football's 10 Most Politically-Charged Football Rivalries" All of their matches have been competitive; none of them were friendlies. The first match was played on 24 August 1975, with Iran defeating Saudi Arabia 3–0. Iran leads the series with 5 wins, 6 draws and 4 losses.

Stadiums

Azadi Stadium, 1991

Since 1972, Iran's national stadium has been Tehran's Azadi Stadium with a nominal capacity of 78,116 spectators. Azadi Stadium is the 28th largest association football stadium in the world, seventh in Asia and first in West Asia. A record was set in Azadi for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Australia with over 128,000 in attendance. Since 1979, the government restricts Iranian women from entering the stadiums. However, FIFA condemned the move and wrote to Iranian Football Federation in June 2019. The federation in their letter gave deadline to uplift the restrictions and let women enter the stadiums. On 25 August 2019, deputy Sports Minister Jamshid Taghizadeh stated: "Women can go to Tehran's Azadi stadium to watch the match between Iran's national team and Cambodia in October for the Qatar World Cup qualifier.” After the death of Sahar Khodayari, select Iranian women were allowed to attend the match against Cambodia in October 2019. However, in March 2022, Iranian women were again blocked from entering the stadium for a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

From 1942 to 1972, Amjadieh Stadium was Iran's national stadium. Other stadiums that Iran has played international games at are Bagh Shomal and Yadegar Emam Stadium (Tabriz), Takhti Stadium (Tehran), Enghelab Stadium (Karaj), Hafezieh Stadium (Shiraz), Takhti Stadium and Imam Reza Stadium (Mashhad).

The Iran National Football Camp is the team's training ground.

Results and fixtures

All opponents that the Iran football team has played at least once

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Win Draw Loss Fixture

2025

5 June 2026 World Cup qualificationQatar1–0IranDoha, Qatar
21:15 UTC+3Pedro Miguel 41'Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 8,925 Referee: Mohammed Al-Hoaish (Saudi Arabia)
10 June 2026 World Cup qualificationIran3–0North KoreaTehran, Iran
19:30 UTC+3:30Mohebi 74' Taremi 77' Hosseinzadeh 90+3'Stadium: Azadi Stadium Attendance: 16,803 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)
29 August 2025 CAFA Nations CupIran3–1AfghanistanHisor, Tajikistan
15:30Aliyari 26', 64' Hosseinzadeh 37'Musawi 21'Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium Referee: Sanzhar Zhakypbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
1 September 2025 CAFA Nations CupIndia0–3IranHisor, Tajikistan
15:30Hosseinzadeh 59' Alipour 89' Taremi 90+6'Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
4 September 2025 CAFA Nations CupTajikistan2–2IranHisor, Tajikistan
19:00Samiev 54' Dzhuraboyev 76'Mohammad Mehdi Mohebi 38' Mohammad Mohebi 47'Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium Referee: Axrol Riskullayev (Uzbekistan)
8 September 2025 CAFA Nations CupUzbekistan1–0(a.e.t.)IranTashkent, Uzbekistan
19:30 UTC+5Alijonov 120'Stadium: Olympic City Stadium Attendance: 11,482 Referee: Nurzatbek Abdıkadırov (Kyrgyzstan)
10 October FriendlyRussia2–1IranVolgograd, Russia
20:00 UTC+3Vorobyov 22' Batrakov 70'Hosseinzadeh 48'Stadium: Volgograd Arena Attendance: 42,387 Referee: Nikola Dabanović (Montenegro)
14 October FriendlyIran2–0TanzaniaDubai, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4Hosseinzadeh 17' (pen.) Mohebi 26'Stadium: Rashid Stadium Referee: Adel Al Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
13 November 2025 Al Ain International Cup semi-finalIran0–0 (5–4 p)Cape VerdeAl Ain, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium Attendance: 634 Referee: Mohamed Al-Harmoodi (United Arab Emirates)
Penalties
Noorafkan Alipour Mohebi Ezatolahi TaremiRodrigues Diney Moreira Duarte Arcanjo
18 November 2025 Al Ain International Cup finalIran0–0 (3–4 p)UzbekistanAl Ain, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium Attendance: 4,700 Referee: Ali Saeed Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
Penalties
Noorafkan Ghorbani Mohebi Hosseini MohammadiShomurodov Iskanderov Abdullaev Ashurmatov Mozgovoy

2026

27 March 2026 Jordan International TournamentIran1–2NigeriaAntalya, Turkey
15:30 UTC+3Taremi 67'Simon 6' Adams 51'Stadium: Corendon Airlines Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Cihan Aydın (Turkey)
31 March 2026 Jordan International TournamentCosta Rica0–5IranAntalya, Turkey
16:00 UTC+3Gholizadeh 10' Taremi 19' (pen.), 34' (pen.) Mohebi 31' Ghayedi 54'Stadium: Corendon Airlines Park Referee: Cihan Aydin (Turkey)
15 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group GIranvNew ZealandInglewood, United States
18:00 UTC−7Stadium: SoFi Stadium
21 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group GBelgiumvIranInglewood, United States
12:00 UTC−7Stadium: SoFi Stadium
26 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group GEgyptvIranSeattle, United States
20:00 UTC−7Stadium: Lumen Field

Coaching staff

PositionName
Head CoachIran Amir Ghalenoei
Assistant Coach(es)Iran Rahman Rezaei
Italy Antonio Gagliardi
Iran Andranik Teymourian
Iran Saeed Alhoei
Iran Human Afazeli
Goalkeeping CoachRomania Alin Dincă
Fitness CoachIran Ali Asghar Ghorbanalipour
PhysiotherapistIran Alireza Shahab
Team DoctorIran Parhan Khanlari
MasseursIran Amir Esmaeili
Iran Hadi Nejatpour
Team SupervisorIran Mehdi Kharati
Team ManagementIran Mahdi Mohammadnabi

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for training camp in April 2026. Caps and goals updated as of 1 April 2026, after the match against Costa Rica.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11GKAlireza Beiranvand(1992-09-21)21 September 1992(age 33)840Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor
121GKPayam Niazmand(1995-04-06)6 April 1995(age 31)150Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolis
221GKHossein Hosseini(1992-06-30)30 June 1992(age 33)130Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan
301GKMohammad Khalife(2004-08-19)19 August 2004(age 21)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Aluminium Arak
22DFSaleh Hardani(1998-12-26)26 December 1998(age 27)171Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlal
32DFEhsan Hajsafi(1990-02-25)25 February 1990(age 36)1447Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan
42DFShojae Khalilzadeh(1989-05-14)14 May 1989(age 36)562Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor
52DFMilad Mohammadi(1993-09-29)29 September 1993(age 32)751Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolis
132DFHossein Kanaanizadegan(1994-03-23)23 March 1994(age 32)636Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolis
192DFAli Nemati(1996-02-07)7 February 1996(age 30)150Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Foolad
232DFRamin Rezaeian(1990-03-21)21 March 1990(age 36)726Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Foolad
252DFDanial Esmaeilifar(1993-03-18)18 March 1993(age 33)60Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor
352DFAria Yousefi(2002-04-22)22 April 2002(age 23)120Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan
362DFHossein Abarghouei(1997-09-17)17 September 1997(age 28)10Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolis
2DFAref Aghasi(1997-01-02)2 January 1997(age 29)60Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlal
2DFDanial Eiri(2003-10-26)26 October 2003(age 22)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Malavan
2DFMasoud Mohebi(2005-02-06)6 February 2005(age 21)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Kheybar
163MFMahdi Torabi(1994-09-10)10 September 1994(age 31)517Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor
173MFMehdi Hashemnejad(2001-10-27)27 October 2001(age 24)70Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor
213MFOmid Noorafkan(1997-04-09)9 April 1997(age 29)391Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan
263MFHadi Habibinejad(1995-10-17)17 October 1995(age 30)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Chadormalou
283MFAmirmohammad Razzaghinia(2006-04-11)11 April 2006(age 20)20Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlal
3MFRouzbeh Cheshmi(1993-07-24)24 July 1993(age 32)403Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlal
3MFMohammad Mehdi Mohebi(2000-02-10)10 February 2000(age 26)42Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan
3MFAref Haji Eydi(1999-04-06)6 April 1999(age 27)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan
184FWAmirhossein Hosseinzadeh(2000-10-30)30 October 2000(age 25)165Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor
204FWAli Alipour(1995-11-11)11 November 1995(age 30)121Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolis
314FWAmirhossein Mahmoudi(2006-07-12)12 July 2006(age 19)10Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolis
324FWEhsan Mahroughi(1998-12-09)9 December 1998(age 27)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Foolad
4FWKasra Taheri(2006-08-06)6 August 2006(age 19)20Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Paykan

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to the team in the last 12 months.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GKMohammad Reza Akhbari(1993-02-15)15 February 1993(age 33)10Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahanv. Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
GKAhmad Gohari(1996-01-12)12 January 1996(age 30)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Paykan2025 CAFA Nations Cup
GKNima Mirzazad(1997-02-27)27 February 1997(age 29)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Mes Rafsanjan2025 CAFA Nations Cup
GKParsa Jafari(1999-07-09)9 July 1999(age 26)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Zob Ahanv. Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
DFAbolfazl Jalali(1998-06-26)26 June 1998(age 27)80Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlalv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
DFSaman Fallah(2001-05-12)12 May 2001(age 24)40Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlalv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
DFMajid Hosseini(1996-06-20)20 June 1996(age 29)300Turkish Football Federation Kayserisporv. Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
DFDanial Eiri(2003-10-26)26 October 2003(age 22)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Malavanv. Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
DFAmin Hazbavi(2003-05-06)6 May 2003(age 22)70Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan2025 Al Ain International Cup PRE / INJ
DFMohammad Mehdi Zare(2003-01-25)25 January 2003(age 23)00Russian Football Union Akhmat Groznyv. Tanzania, 14 October 2025
DFAref Aghasi(1997-01-02)2 January 1997(age 29)60Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlal2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DFMohammad Naderi(1996-10-05)5 October 1996(age 29)30Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractor2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DFMorteza Pouraliganji(1992-04-19)19 April 1992(age 34)543Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolisv. North Korea, 10 June 2025
DFSadegh Moharrami(1996-04-01)1 April 1996(age 30)301Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Tractorv. North Korea, 10 June 2025
DFYaghoub Barage(2006-01-26)26 January 2006(age 20)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolisv. Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MFAlireza Jahanbakhsh(1993-08-11)11 August 1993(age 32)9817Royal Belgian Football Association Denderv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MFSaeid Ezatolahi(1996-10-01)1 October 1996(age 29)811United Arab Emirates Football Association Shabab Al-Ahliv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MFSaman Ghoddos(1993-09-06)6 September 1993(age 32)673United Arab Emirates Football Association Kalbav. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MFAli Gholizadeh(1996-03-10)10 March 1996(age 30)447Polish Football Association Lech Poznańv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MFMohammad Mohebi(1998-12-20)20 December 1998(age 27)3514Russian Football Union Rostovv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MFMohammad Ghorbani(2001-05-21)21 May 2001(age 24)140United Arab Emirates Football Association Al-Wahdav. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
MFAlireza Koushki(2000-02-16)16 February 2000(age 26)20Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlalv. Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
MFMehdi Tikdari(1996-07-12)12 July 1996(age 29)10Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Gol Goharv. Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
MFMohammad Javad Hosseinnejad(2003-06-26)26 June 2003(age 22)50Russian Football Union Dynamo Makhachkalav. Tanzania, 14 October 2025
MFMohammad Khodabandelou(1999-09-07)7 September 1999(age 26)10Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolisv. Tanzania, 14 October 2025
MFMehran Ahmadi(1997-12-26)26 December 1997(age 28)20Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Esteghlal2025 CAFA Nations Cup
MFMohammad Karimi(1996-06-20)20 June 1996(age 29)100Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahanv. Qatar, 5 June 2025
MFMohammad Askari(2006-02-07)7 February 2006(age 20)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahanv. Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
MFMohammadhossein Sadeghi(2004-03-28)28 March 2004(age 22)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolisv. Qatar, 5 June 2025 PRE
FWMehdi Taremi(1992-07-18)18 July 1992(age 33)10359Hellenic Football Federation Olympiacosv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
FWMehdi Ghayedi(1998-12-05)5 December 1998(age 27)2910United Arab Emirates Football Association Al-Nasrv. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
FWShahriyar Moghanlou(1994-12-21)21 December 1994(age 31)192United Arab Emirates Football Association Kalbav. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
FWDennis Eckert(1997-01-09)9 January 1997(age 29)00Royal Belgian Football Association Standard Liègev. Costa Rica, 31 March 2026
FWMohammad Omri(2000-03-11)11 March 2000(age 26)00Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Persepolisv. Uzbekistan, 18 November 2025
FWAllahyar Sayyadmanesh(2001-06-29)29 June 2001(age 24)91Royal Belgian Football Association Westerlov. Tanzania, 14 October 2025
FWMajid Aliyari(1996-03-02)2 March 1996(age 30)22Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Sepahan2025 CAFA Nations Cup
INJ Withdrew due to injury PRE Preliminary squad / standby RET Retired from the national team SUS Serving suspension WD Player withdrew from the squad due to a non-injury issue.

Player records

As of 31 March 2026

Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Players in bold are still active with Iran.

Most appearances

Javad Nekounam is the most capped player in the history of Iran with 149 appearances.
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1Javad Nekounam149382000–2015
2Ali Daei1481081993–2006
3Ehsan Hajsafi14472008–present
4Ali Karimi127381998–2012
5Jalal Hosseini11582007–2018
6Mehdi Mahdavikia110131996–2009
7Karim Ansarifard104302009–2024
8Mehdi Taremi103592015–present
9Andranik Teymourian10192005–2016
10Alireza Jahanbakhsh98172013–present

Top goalscorers

Ali Daei is the world's third all-time leading goalscorer in international matches, having scored 108 goals in 148 matches.
RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1Ali Daei (list)1081480.731993–2006
2Mehdi Taremi591030.572015–present
3Sardar Azmoun57910.632014–present
4Karim Bagheri50870.571993–2010
5Ali Karimi381270.31998–2012
Javad Nekounam381490.262000–2015
7Karim Ansarifard301040.292009–2024
8Gholam Hossein Mazloumi19400.481969–1977
9Farshad Pious18340.531984–1994
10Reza Ghoochannejhad17440.392012–2018
Alireza Jahanbakhsh17980.172013–present

Notes

Most capped goalkeepers

Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, an iconic goalkeeper known for his outstanding performances with the national team, is regarded as one of the finest in the nation's history.
RankPlayerCapsCareer
1Alireza Beiranvand842015–present
2Mehdi Rahmati762004–2012
3Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh731987–1998
4Ebrahim Mirzapour702001–2011
5Nasser Hejazi621968–1980
6Behzad Gholampour271990–1999
7Aziz Asli241962–1968
8Alireza Haghighi232012–2018
9Mansour Rashidi201972–1985
Parviz Boroumand1998–2001

Captains

#ReignPlayerCareerTotalAs CaptainTournaments
CapsGoalsCapsGoals
11965–1967Mohammad Ranjbar1959–196723090
21967–1970Hassan Habibi1958–19703101001968 AFC Asian Cup
31970–1972Mostafa Arab1959–19724821301972 AFC Asian Cup
41972–1977Parviz Ghelichkhani1964–197764122671976 AFC Asian Cup
51977–1980Ali Parvin1970–198076133121978 FIFA World Cup
61980Nasser Hejazi1968–1980620701980 AFC Asian Cup
71980–1984Mehdi Dinvarzadeh1977–198426090
81984–87 1989–91Mohammad Panjali1978–19914502701984 AFC Asian Cup
91987–89 1991–93Sirous Ghayeghran1986–19934362231988 AFC Asian Cup 1992 AFC Asian Cup
101993Hamid Derakhshan1980–1993419123
111993–1994Farshad Pious1984–1994351941
121996Mojtaba Moharrami1988–1996375201996 AFC Asian Cup
131996–1998Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh1988–19987303801998 FIFA World Cup
141998–1999Nader Mohammadkhani1988–1999644911998 FIFA World Cup
151999–2000Javad Zarincheh1987–200080180
162000–2006Ali Daei1993–200614810880442000 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup
172006–2009Mehdi Mahdavikia1996–2009111131712007 AFC Asian Cup
182009–2015Javad Nekounam2000–20151493856182011 AFC Asian Cup 2014 FIFA World Cup 2015 AFC Asian Cup
192015–2016Andranik Teymourian2005–2016101991
202016–2019Masoud Shojaei2004–20198781102018 FIFA World Cup 2019 AFC Asian Cup
212019–2024Ehsan Hajsafi2008–202414274332022 FIFA World Cup 2023 AFC Asian Cup
222024–Alireza Jahanbakhsh2013–981760

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup recordQualification record
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
Uruguay 1930Not a FIFA memberNo qualification
Italy 1934Not a FIFA member
France 1938
Brazil 1950Did not enterDid not enter
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974Did not qualify851296
Argentina 1978First round14th301228Squad121020203
Spain 1982WithdrewWithdrew
Mexico 1986DisqualifiedDisqualified
Italy 1990Did not qualify6501125
United States 1994115332313
France 1998Group stage20th310224Squad178635717
South Korea Japan 2002Did not qualify14932369
Germany 2006Group stage25th301226Squad12912297
South Africa 2010Did not qualify14581159
Brazil 2014Group stage28th301214Squad161042307
Russia 2018Group stage18th311122Squad181260365
Qatar 2022Group stage26th310247Squad181413498
Canada Mexico United States 2026Qualified1611413512
TotalFirst round6/1918341113311621033920351101
Iran's World Cup record
First matchNetherlands 3–0 Iran (3 June 1978; Mendoza, Argentina)
Biggest winWales 0–2 Iran (25 November 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar)
Biggest defeatEngland 6–2 Iran (21 November 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar)
Fastest Goal36th minute, Yahya Golmohammadi, vs Mexico (11 June 2006; Nuremberg, Germany)
Latest goal90+13th minute, Mehdi Taremi, vs England (21 November 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar)

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup recordQualification record
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
Hong Kong 1956WithdrewWithdrew
South Korea 1960Did not qualify63121210
Israel 1964WithdrewWithdrew
Iran 1968Champions1st4400112SquadQualified as hosts
Thailand 1972Champions1st5500124SquadQualified as holders
Iran 1976Champions1st4400130SquadQualified as hosts
Kuwait 1980Third place3rd6321166SquadQualified as holders
Singapore 1984Fourth place4th624083Squad6600222
Qatar 1988Third place3rd622234Squad422061
Japan 1992Group stage5th311121Squad2200100
United Arab Emirates 1996Third place3rd6321146Squad6600271
Lebanon 2000Quarter-finals5th421173Squad6411162
China 2004Third place3rd6330148Squad6501165
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007Quarter-finals5th422063Squad6420122
Qatar 2011Quarter-finals5th430162Squad6411112
Australia 2015Quarter-finals6th431073Squad6510185
United Arab Emirates 2019Semi-finals3rd6411123Squad8620263
Qatar 2023Semi-finals3rd6411127Squad8602344
Saudi Arabia 2027Qualified6420164
Total3 titles16/19744520914355765712722641
Iran's AFC Asian Cup record
First matchIran 2–0 Hong Kong (10 May 1968; Tehran, Iran)
Biggest win(s)Iran 8–0 South Yemen (8 June 1976; Tehran, Iran)
Biggest defeat(s)South Korea 3–0 Iran (11 December 1988; Doha, Qatar)Iran 0–3 Japan (28 January 2019; Al Ain, UAE)
Best resultChampions in 1968, 1972 and 1976
Worst result1992 (group stage)

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics recordQualification record
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
France 1900Not an IOC memberNo qualification
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Germany 1936
United Kingdom 1948Did not enter
Finland 1952
Australia 1956WithdrewWithdrew
Italy 1960Did not enterDid not enter
Japan 1964First round12th301216Squad6411143
Mexico 1968WithdrewWithdrew
West Germany 1972First round12th310219Squad532060
Canada 1976Quarter-finals7th310245Squad431081
Soviet Union 1980Qualified but later withdrew6420222
United States 1984Did not enterDid not enter
South Korea 1988Did not qualify210122
1992–presentSee Iran national under-23 teamSee Iran national under-23 team
TotalQuarter-finals4/179216620231562528

Asian Games

Asian Games record
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquad
India 1951Runners-up2nd320121Squad
Philippines 1954Did not enter
Japan 1958Preliminary round14th200209Squad
Indonesia 1962Did not enter
Thailand 1966Runners-up2nd740396Squad
Thailand 1970Preliminary round8th201123Squad
Iran 1974Champions1st7700201Squad
Thailand 1978Did not enter
India 1982Quarter-finals8th420232Squad
South Korea 1986Quarter-finals6th5311132Squad
China 1990Champions1st541071Squad
Japan 1994Preliminary round9th412152Squad
Thailand 1998Champions1st8701257Squad
2002–presentSee Iran national under-23 team
Total3 titles10/1347305128634

WAFF Championship

WAFF Championship record
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquad
Jordan 2000Champions1st541071Squad
Syria 2002Third place3rd412143Squad
Iran 2004Champions1st4400173Squad
Jordan 2007Champions1st431051Squad
Iran 2008Champions1st4400132Squad
Jordan 2010Runners-up2nd421185Squad
Kuwait 2012Group stage6th312021Squad
Qatar 2014Did not enter
2019–onwardsNot a WAFF member
Total4 titles7/82819725616

CAFA Nations Cup

CAFA Nations Cup record
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquad
KyrgyzstanUzbekistan 2023Champions1st3300122Squad
TajikistanUzbekistan 2025Runners-up2nd421184Squad
Total1 title2/27511206

RCD Cup/ECO Cup

RCD Cup/ECO Cup record (Defunct)
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquad
Iran 1965Champions1st211041Squad
Pakistan 1967Runners-up2nd210121Squad
Turkey 1969Runners-up2nd210146Squad
Iran 1970Champions1st211081Squad
Pakistan 1974Runners-up2nd210122Squad
Iran 1993Champions1st4400102Squad
Total3 titles6/6149233013
Only "A" matches3 titles6/6118122710

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations record (Defunct)
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquad
GhanaIran 1978Not completed110030Squad
CameroonSaudi Arabia 1985Did not qualify
Qatar 1987
AlgeriaIran 1991Runners-up2nd210122SquadSquad
Japan 1993Did not qualify
NigeriaUzbekistan 1995
Saudi ArabiaSouth Africa 1997
Japan 2007
TotalRunners-up2/8320152

AFC–OFC Challenge Cup

AFC–OFC Challenge Cup record (Defunct)
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGASquad
Japan 2001Did not qualify
Iran 2003Champions1st110030Squad
Total1 title1/2110030

Head-to-head record

As of 31 March 2026

Source:

Iran national football team all opponents

The list shown below shows the Iran national football team all-time international record against opposing nations.

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDConfederationBest winWorst loss
Afghanistan4310132+11AFC6–1X
Albania100101−1UEFAX0–1
Algeria4202550CAF2–11–2
Angola422072+5CAF4–0X
Argentina201112−1CONMEBOLX0–1
Armenia110031+2UEFA3–1X
Australia632176+1AFC / OFC2–00–3
Austria100115−4UEFAX1–5
Azerbaijan321042+2UEFA2–1X
Bahrain188553213+19AFC6–02–4
Bangladesh6600281+27AFC6–0X
Belarus302134−1UEFAX1–2
Bolivia110021+1CONMEBOL2–1X
Bosnia and Herzegovina75111910+9UEFA4–01–3
Botswana1010110CAFXX
Brazil210113−2CONMEBOL1–00–3
Bulgaria211021+1UEFA1–0X
Burkina Faso110021+1CAF2–1X
Cambodia4400281+27AFC14–0X
Cameroon2020110CAFXX
Canada320121+1CONCACAF1–00–1
Cape Verde1010000CAFXX
Chile311143+1CONMEBOL2–01–2
China2313643918+21AFC4–00–2
Chinese Taipei5500220+22AFC6–0X
Costa Rica321082+6CONCACAF5–0X
Croatia201124−2UEFAX0–2
Cyprus1010000UEFAXX
Czech Republic100101−1UEFAX0–1
Denmark1010000UEFAXX
Ecuador302123−1CONMEBOLX0–1
Egypt1010110CAFXX
England100126−4UEFAX2–6
France100112−1UEFAX1–2
Georgia110021+1UEFA2–1X
Germany200204−4UEFAX0–2
Ghana220050+5CAF3–0X
Guam3300310+31AFC19–0X
Guatemala1010220CONCACAFXX
Guinea201123−1CAFX1–2
Hong Kong9900233+20AFC4–0X
Hungary300316−5UEFAX0–2
Iceland110010+1UEFA1–0X
India9612206+14AFC4–01–3
Indonesia6510163+13AFC5–0X
Iraq2816663721+16AFC3–01–2
Ireland, Republic of310224−2UEFA1–00–2
Israel531176+1UEFA / AFC3–00–4
Jamaica220091+8CONCACAF8–1X
Japan197662122−1AFC2–00–3
Jordan147341811+7AFC4–12–3
Kazakhstan220050+5UEFA / AFC3–0X
Kenya330061+5CAF3–0X
Korea, North201640349+25AFC3–0X
Korea, South331310103436−2AFC6–20–5
Kuwait30131073931+8AFC3–10–3
Kyrgyzstan6600254+21AFC7–0X
Laos3300201+19AFC7–0X
Lebanon121011313+28AFC5–00–1
Libya110040+4CAF4–0X
Lithuania110010+1UEFA1–0X
Macedonia, North321073+4UEFA3–1X
Madagascar110010+1CAF1–0X
Malaysia440080+8AFC3–0X
Maldives6600420+42AFC17–0X
Mali100112−1CAFX1–2
Mexico300329−7CONCACAFX0–4
Montenegro211021+1UEFA2–1X
Morocco110010+1CAF1–0X
Myanmar530274+3AFC3–10–1
Nepal5500250+25AFC8–0X
Netherlands100103−3UEFAX0–3
New Zealand211030+3OFC3–0X
Nicaragua110010+1CONCACAF1–0X
Nigeria301213−2CAFX1–2
Oman137422615+11AFC4–02–4
Pakistan1412115810+48AFC9–11–4
Palestine6420183+15AFC7–0X
Panama220031+2CONCACAF2–1X
Papua New Guinea110081+7OFC8–1X
Paraguay1010110CONMEBOLXX
Peru100114−3CONMEBOLX1–4
Philippines110071+6AFC7–1X
Poland200203−3UEFAX0–2
Portugal301216−5UEFAX0–3
Qatar2717554721+26AFC6–10–2
Romania2020220UEFAXX
Russia612347−3UEFA1–00–2
Saudi Arabia144641913+6AFC3–03–4
Scotland1010110UEFAXX
Senegal2020220CAFXX
Serbia301214−3UEFAX1–3
Sierra Leone110040+4CAF4–0X
Singapore3210102+8AFC6–0X
Slovakia2101660UEFA4–32–3
Spain100101−1UEFAX0–1
Sri Lanka2200110+11AFC7–0X
Sweden100113−2UEFAX1–3
Syria31181215316+37AFC7–10–1
Tajikistan5410163+13AFC6–1X
Tanzania110020+2CAF2–0X
Thailand141130325+27AFC5–0X
Togo220040+4CAF2–0X
Trinidad and Tobago220030+3CONCACAF2–0X
Tunisia201123−1CAFX0–1
Turkey6024213−11UEFAX1–6
Turkmenistan10532168+8AFC5–00–1
Uganda1010220CAFXX
Ukraine110010+1UEFA1–0X
United Arab Emirates211731315+26AFC3–01–3
United States3111330CONCACAF2–10–1
Uruguay211021+1CONMEBOL1–0X
Uzbekistan181062208+12AFC4–00–1
Venezuela321031+2CONMEBOL1–0X
Vietnam110020+2AFC2–0X
Wales210121+1UEFA2–00–1
Yemen3300111+10AFC5–0X
Yemen, South3300120+12AFC8–0X
Zambia110032+1CAF3–2X
Total6213571471171192486+706

FIFA World rankings

9 , 9 , 2 , 5 (Fourth Place) (25/31) (1993–2023)

FIFA World Rankings for Iran, August 1993 – March 2018

Between December 2014 and May 2018, Iran was the highest-ranked team in Asia, which is the longest continuous period of time that a team has held that distinction.

Highest FIFA ranking

15 (July 2005)

Lowest FIFA ranking

122 (May 1996)

Best mover

+65 (July 1996)

Worst mover

–43 (October 1995)

Last update was on 01 January 2022.

Best Ranking Worst Ranking Best Mover Worst Mover

Iran Iran's FIFA World Ranking History
RankYearGames PlayedWonDrawnLostBestWorst
RankMoveRankMove
24202211614202244
212021111010215312
2920202200293330
33201912723207336
29201815933285373
32201711731237439
292016108202710443
4520151510413810514
51201410343345567
332013971133156710
5920121447344145915
4520111512214221654
66201012822578674
642009217864226411
43200821127237115110
41200713841325478
382006158521954724
19200511812152213
202004181332177313
28200311614287477
33200210442292343
292001201145298517
372000261574377536
49199962404435120
271998189272717476
4619972211744617876
83199621135357651227
10819950000632610843
7519944121572759
59199315933547594

Honours

Intercontinental

Continental

Regional

Friendly

** as Malavan

Awards

  • AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award: 1996

Summary

Only official honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).

CompetitionTotal
AFC Asian Cup3069
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations0101
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup1001
Total41611

Notes

  1. Competition organized by OCA, officially not recognized by FIFA.

See also

Notes

External links

  • (in Persian and English)
  • at FIFA.com
Awards and achievements
Preceded by1964 IsraelAsian Champions 1968 (first title) 1972 (second title) 1976 (third title)Succeeded by1980 Kuwait
Preceded byMyanmar South KoreaAsian Games Champions 1974 (first title)Succeeded byNorth Korea South Korea
Preceded bySouth KoreaAsian Games Champions 1990 (second title)Succeeded byUzbekistan
Preceded byUzbekistanAsian Games Champions 1998 (third title) 2002 (fourth title)Succeeded byQatar
Preceded byInaugural championsWAFF Champions 2000 (first title)Succeeded by2002 Iraq
Preceded by2002 IraqWAFF Champions 2004 (second title) 2007 (third title) 2008 (fourth title)Succeeded by2010 Kuwait
Preceded byInaugural championsCAFA Champions 2023 (first title)Succeeded byUzbekistan