Iran at the FIFA World Cup

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Iran national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Iran have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on six occasions: in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022. They are yet to have progressed from the group stages.[1][2]

Record at the World Cup[edit]

FIFA World Cup finals record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member No qualification
Italy 1934 Not a FIFA member
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 8 5 1 2 9 6
Argentina 1978 First round 14th 3 0 1 2 2 8 Squad 12 10 2 0 20 3
Spain 1982 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1986 Disqualified Disqualified
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 6 5 0 1 12 5
United States 1994 11 5 3 3 23 13
France 1998 Group stage 20th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad 17 8 6 3 57 17
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 14 9 3 2 36 9
Germany 2006 Group stage 25th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad 12 9 1 2 29 7
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 14 5 8 1 15 9
Brazil 2014 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad 16 10 4 2 30 7
Russia 2018 18th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad 18 12 6 0 36 5
Qatar 2022 26th 3 1 0 2 4 7 Squad 18 14 1 3 49 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain Argentina Paraguay Uruguay 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
United Nations 2038
Total First round 6/26 18 3 4 11 13 31 146 92 35 19 316 89

Argentina 1978[edit]

Group 4[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Peru 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 5 Advance to second round
2  Netherlands 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 3
3  Scotland 3 1 1 1 5 6 −1 3
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 2 8 −6 1
Source: FIFA
Netherlands 3–0 Iran
Rensenbrink 40' (pen.), 62', 78' (pen.) Report

Scotland 1–1 Iran
Eskandarian 43' (o.g.) Report Danaeifard 60'

Peru 4–1 Iran
Velásquez 2'
Cubillas 36' (pen.), 39' (pen.), 79'
Report Rowshan 41'

France 1998[edit]

Group F[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Germany 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Yugoslavia 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7
3  Iran 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2 3
4  United States 3 0 0 3 1 5 −4 0
Source: FIFA
Yugoslavia 1–0 Iran
Mihajlović 72' (Report)

United States 1–2 Iran
McBride 87' (Report) Estili 40'
Mahdavikia 84'
Attendance: 39,100

Germany 2–0 Iran
Bierhoff 50'
Klinsmann 57'
(Report)

Germany 2006[edit]

Group D[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Portugal 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Mexico 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
3  Angola 3 0 2 1 1 2 −1 2
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Mexico 3–1 Iran
Bravo 28', 76'
Zinha 79'
(Report) Golmohammadi 36'

Portugal 2–0 Iran
Deco 63'
Ronaldo 80' (pen.)
(Report)

Iran 1–1 Angola
Bakhtiarizadeh 75' (Report) Flávio 60'
Attendance: 38,000

Brazil 2014[edit]

Group F[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Argentina 3 3 0 0 6 3 +3 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Nigeria 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
3  Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Iran 0–0 Nigeria
Report
Attendance: 39,081
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

Argentina 1–0 Iran
Messi 90+1' Report

Russia 2018[edit]

Group B[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Spain 3 1 2 0 6 5 +1 5 Advance to knockout stage
2  Portugal 3 1 2 0 5 4 +1 5
3  Iran 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
4  Morocco 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Morocco 0–1 Iran
Report Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.)

Iran 0–1 Spain
Report Costa 54'
Attendance: 42,718

Iran 1–1 Portugal
Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.) Report Quaresma 45'
Attendance: 41,685

Qatar 2022[edit]

Simultaneous to the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran, the team declined to sing the national anthem prior to their match with England.[3] Prior to the match, captain Ehsan Hajsafi, said that the team support protestors.[3]

Group B[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  England 3 2 1 0 9 2 +7 7 Advanced to knockout stage
2  United States 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
3  Iran 3 1 0 2 4 7 −3 3
4  Wales 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
England 6–2 Iran
Report

Wales 0–2 Iran
Report

Iran 0–1 United States
Report
Attendance: 42,127

By match[edit]

World Cup Round Opponent Score Result Iran scorer(s)
1978 Group stage  Netherlands 0–3 L
 Scotland 1–1 D Danaeifard 60'
 Peru 1–4 L Rowshan 41'
1998 Group stage  FR Yugoslavia 0–1 L
 United States 2–1 W Estili 40', Mahdavikia 84'
 Germany 0–2 L
2006 Group stage  Mexico 1–3 L Golmohammadi 36'
 Portugal 0–2 L
 Angola 1–1 D Bakhtiarizadeh 75'
2014 Group stage  Nigeria 0–0 D
 Argentina 0–1 L
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–3 L Ghoochannejhad 82'
2018 Group stage  Morocco 1–0 W Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.)
 Spain 0–1 L
 Portugal 1–1 D Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.)
2022 Group stage  England 2–6 L Taremi 65', 90+13' (pen.)
 Wales 2–0 W Cheshmi 90+8', Rezaeian 90+11'
 United States 0–1 L

Records[edit]

Most appearances[edit]

Rank Player Matches World Cups
1 Ehsan Hajsafi 9 2014 and 2018 and 2022
2 Alireza Jahanbakhsh 8 2014 and 2018 and 2022
3 Karim Ansarifard 6 2014 and 2018 and 2022
Mehdi Taremi 6 2018 and 2022
Sardar Azmoun 6 2018 and 2022
Morteza Pouraliganji 6 2018 and 2022
Majid Hosseini 6 2018 and 2022
Mehdi Mahdavikia 6 1998 and 2006
Andranik Teymourian 6 2006 and 2014
10 Ali Daei 5 1998 and 2006
Javad Nekounam 5 2006 and 2014
Masoud Shojaei 5 2006 and 2014 and 2018

Most goals[edit]

Rank Player Goals World Cups
1 Mehdi Taremi 2 2022
2 Iraj Danaeifard 1 1978
Hassan Rowshan 1 1978
Hamid Estili 1 1998
Mehdi Mahdavikia 1 1998
Yahya Golmohammadi 1 2006
Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh 1 2006
Reza Ghoochannejhad 1 2014
Karim Ansarifard 1 2018
Rouzbeh Cheshmi 1 2022
Ramin Rezaeian 1 2022

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ O'Callaghan, Eoin (20 June 2018). "Great Satan 1-2 Iran: the most politically charged match in World Cup history". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ^ "تاریخچه حضور ایران در جام جهانی" [History of Iran at the FIFA World Cup] (in Persian). 11 October 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Iran players decline to sing national anthem". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-11-22.

External links[edit]