Iran national football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For current information on this topic, see Iran national football team results – 2010s.
Iran
ایران
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Team melli
(Persian: تیم ملی‎)
"The National Team"
Association Fedrasion-e Futball-e Irān
(FFIRI)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Head coach Carlos Queiroz[1][2]
Asst coach António Simões
Omid Namazi
Dan Gaspar
Captain Javad Nekounam
Most caps Ali Daei (149)
Top scorer Ali Daei (109)
Home stadium Azadi Stadium
FIFA code IRN
FIFA ranking 47
Highest FIFA ranking 15 (July 2005)
Lowest FIFA ranking 122 (May 1996)
Elo ranking 33
Highest Elo ranking 15 (May 2005)
Lowest Elo ranking 73 (January 1964)
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
First international
non-FIFA International
 Afghanistan 0 – 0 Iran Iran
(Kabul, Afghanistan; August 25, 1941 [3])
FIFA International
 Turkey 6 – 1 Iran Iran
(Istanbul, Turkey; May 28, 1950 [4])
Biggest win
Iran Iran 19 – 0 Guam 
(Tabriz, Iran; November 24, 2000 [5])
Biggest defeat
 Turkey 6 – 1 Iran Iran
(Istanbul, Turkey; May 28, 1950)
 South Korea 5 – 0 Iran Iran
(Tokyo, Japan; May 28, 1958 [6])
World Cup
Appearances 3 (First in 1978)
Best result Round 1, 1978, 1998, 2006
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances 12 (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, known as the Team Melli, ranks 4th in Asia and 47th in the world according to the current FIFA World Rankings.[7]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

The very first match that the Team Melli played was on August 25, 1941 away at Afghanistan and first FIFA international Iran's match was on May 28, 1950 away at Turkey.[4]

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.

[edit] 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.[8] However, they managed to create a surprise[9] by drawing 1–1 against Scotland with a late Iraj Danaeifard goal.[10]

[edit] 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.[11] Iran could count on new talents such as Ali Daei, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Khodadad Azizi, Karim Bagheri and also its goal keeper, Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh.

[edit] 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.[12]

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.[11]

Iran recorded their first World Cup victory in the second game,[10] 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.[13] Following defeat with Iran the United States were eliminated from the World Cup.[14]

Iran played against Germany in the third game. The game was lost 2–0. The goals were scored by Bierhoff and Klinsmann.[15] The one win and two losses meant Iran became third in the final group standing and failed to make it to the next round.[16]

[edit] 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.

[edit] 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany

Iran score against Angola during a 2006 FIFA World Cup match.
Main article: Iran at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
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.

[edit] 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.[17] The ban lasted less than a month,[18] and as a dispensation was given to allow the Iran under-23 team to participate in the football competition of the 2006 Asian Games,[19] fixtures were unaffected.

[edit] 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

Additional information: 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC Fourth Round

Iran was in the same FIFA World Cup qualifying group as Kuwait, Syria and United Arab Emirates. They played home and away against each of the other three teams in 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.[20] Ali Daei got ejected from his position as the Iranian national coach on March 29, 2009.[21] He was replaced by Afshin Ghotbi. Iran failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after ranking 4th overall in its group.[22]

Iran renewed the contract with Afshin Ghotbi till the end of 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the team qualified to the tournament with 13 points as the group winners.

Several Iranian players started the match wearing green armbands or wristbands, a symbol of protest at the outcome of the Iranian presidential election.[23] 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.[24] 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."[25] The Iran national team head coach Afshin Ghotbi also confirmed that it was a rumour and Iranian FA "has not taken any official stand on this issue."[26]

Afshin Ghotbi was able to qualify for 2011 Asian Cup and finished second in West Asian Football Federation Championship 2010 just few months before the 2011 Asian Cup. Iran was able to gain all the three points in group stage of the 2011 Asian Cup but after the extra time goal from Korea Republic Iran was not able to get to the semifinals and left the competition. Iran appointed Carlos Queiroz as their new head coach in April 2011.

[edit] Political protests

[edit] Bahrain-Iran, 21 October 2001

The 3–1 defeat by Bahrain came as a surprise. This in turn brought upon Iran's failure to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. There were allegations that the authorities pressured the players to lose. It was later denied by Safaei. Nevertheless, up to this day, many fans of 'Team Melli' continue to speculate whether the defeat was of legitimate causes or whether some authorities behind the curtain had brought on the defeat on purpose.[27]

[edit] 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, seven members of the team, Javad Nekounam, Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Hosein Kaebi, Masoud Shojaei, Mohammad Nosrati, and Vahid Hashemian, wore green wristbands in support of the opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in the 2009 Iranian election protests. Initial 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".[28] 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.[29] As of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification several players have been allowed to play a couple of games, notably [[Ali Karimi].

[edit] Home stadium

Azadi Stadium , capacity:100,000
Main article: Azadi 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 matches such as the ones held in Azadi stadium.

[edit] Kit manufacturer

The table below shows the history of kit providers for the national football team of Iran.

Period Kit Manufacturer
1993–1998 Iran Shekari
1998–2000 Germany Puma
2000–2004 Iran Shekari
2004–2006 Iran Daei Sport
2006–2007 Germany Puma
2007–2008 Iran Majid
2008–2009 Iran Daei Sport
2009–2011 Italy Legea
2011–2012 Germany Uhlsport
2012–0000 Germany Puma[30]

[edit] 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 broadcast with pre and post match analysis with full agundi commentary.

[edit] Tournament records

Further information: Iran national football team records

[edit] World Cup record

Main article: Iran at the FIFA World Cup
World Cup Finals World Cup Qualifications
Hosts/Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA Squad GP W D* L GS GA
1930 to 1970 Did not enter - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify - - - - - - - - 8 5 1 2 9 6
Argentina 1978 Round 1 14th 3 0 1 2 2 8 Squad 12 10 2 0 20 3
Spain 1982 Withdrew - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mexico 1986 Disqualified - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Italy 1990 Did not qualify - - - - - - - - 6 5 0 1 12 5
United States 1994 Did not qualify - - - - - - - - 11 5 3 3 23 13
France 1998 Round 1 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 Round 1 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 To be determined 8 5 3 0 22 5
Total - 3/19 9 1 2 6 6 18 - 101 60 27 14 223 74

[edit] Asian Cup record

AFC Asian Cup Finals Asian Cup Qualifications
Hosts/Year Result GP W D* L GS GA GP W D* L GS GA
Hong Kong 1956 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - - - - - -
South Korea 1960 Did not qualify - - - - - - 6 3 1 2 12 10
Israel 1964 Withdrew - - - - - - - - - - - -
Iran 1968 Champions 4 4 0 0 11 2 Automatic qualification as hosts
Thailand 1972 Champions 5 5 0 0 12 4 Automatic qualification as champions
Iran 1976 Champions 4 4 0 0 13 0 Automatic qualification as hosts
Kuwait 1980 Third place 6 3 2 1 16 6 Automatic qualification as champions
Singapore 1984 Fourth place 6 2 4 0 8 3 5 5 0 0 21 2
Qatar 1988 Third place 6 2 2 2 3 4 4 2 2 0 6 1
Japan 1992 Round 1 3 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 0 0 10 0
United Arab Emirates 1996 Third place 6 3 2 1 14 6 6 6 0 0 27 1
Lebanon 2000 Quarterfinals 4 2 1 1 7 3 6 4 1 1 16 2
China 2004 Third place 6 3 3 0 14 8 6 5 0 1 16 5
IndonesiaMalaysiaThailandVietnam 2007 Quarterfinals 4 2 2 0 6 3 6 4 2 0 12 2
Qatar 2011 Quarterfinals 4 3 0 1 6 2 6 4 1 1 11 2
Australia 2015 To Be Determined
Total 3 Titles 58 34 17 7 112 41 47 35 7 5 131 25
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
*Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

[edit] Olympic Games record

Olympic Games Finals Olympic Games Qualifications
Hosts/Year Result GP W D* L GS GA Squad GP W D* L GS GA
1900 to 1960 Did not enter - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Japan 1964 Round 1 3 0 1 2 1 6 Squad 6 4 1 1 14 3
Mexico 1968 Did not enter - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Germany 1972 Round 1 3 1 0 2 1 9 Squad 5 3 2 0 6 0
Canada 1976 Quarter Finals 3 1 0 2 4 5 Squad 4 3 1 0 8 1
Soviet Union 1980 Qualified but boycotted the event - - - - - - - 5 3 2 0 18 2
United States 1984 Did not enter due to boycott - - - - - - - - - - - - -
South Korea 1988 Did not qualify - - - - - - - 2 1 0 1 2 2
Total Best: Quarter Finals 9 2 1 6 6 20 - 22 14 6 2 48 8
  • Young teams were favoured by FIFA and the IOC, and since 1992 male competitors must be under 23 years old, with three over-23 players allowed per squad.

[edit] Asian Games record

Host nation(s) / Year Result GP W D* L GS GA
India New Delhi 1951 Runners-Up 3 2 0 1 2 1
Philippines Manila 1954 Did not enter - - - - - -
Japan Tokyo 1958 Round 1 2 0 0 2 0 9
Indonesia Jakarta 1962 Did not enter - - - - - -
Thailand Bangkok 1966 Runners-Up 7 4 0 3 9 6
Thailand Bangkok 1970 Round 1 2 0 1 1 2 3
Iran Tehran 1974 Champions 7 7 0 0 20 1
Thailand Bangkok 1978 Withdrew - - - - - -
India New Delhi 1982 Quarterfinals 4 2 0 2 3 2
South Korea Seoul 1986 Quarterfinals 5 3 1 1 13 2
China Beijing 1990 Champions 5 4 1 0 7 1
JapanHirosima 1994 Round 1 4 1 2 1 5 2
Thailand Bangkok 1998 Champions 8 7 0 1 25 7
  • Young teams were favoured by AFC and the IOC, and since 2002 male competitors must be under 23 years old, with three over-23 players allowed per squad.

[edit] West Asian Football Federation Championship record

Year Round Pld W D L GS GA
Jordan 2000 Champions 5 4 1 0 7 1
Syria 2002 Third Place 4 1 2 1 4 3
Iran 2004 Champions 4 4 0 0 17 3
Jordan 2007 Champions 4 3 1 0 5 1
Iran 2008 Champions 4 4 0 0 13 2
Jordan 2010 Runner Up 4 2 1 1 8 5
Kuwait 2012 Qualified
Total 4 Titles 25 18 5 2 54 15

[edit] RCD Cup/ECO Cup record

Year Round
Iran 1965 Champions
Pakistan 1967 Runners-Up
Turkey 1969 Runners-Up
Iran 1970 Champions
Pakistan 1974 Runners-Up
Iran 1993 Champions

[edit] West Asian Games

Year Round
Iran 1997 Champions
Kuwait 2002 Runners-Up
Qatar 2005 Third place

[edit] Results and fixtures

see Iran national football team results
 see Iran national football team results – 2010s

[edit] Previous matches

      Win       Draw       Loss

All matches in last year:

Date Venue Opponent Competition Result Iranian scorers Captain ref note
2011
9 February 2011 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi, UAE  Russia Friendly 1–0 W 90' Khalatbari Rahmati Report
Undefeated streak
17 July 2011 Iran Tehran, Iran  Madagascar Friendly 1–0 W 18' Hosseini Karimi Report
23 July 2011 Iran Tehran, Iran  Maldives 2014 WCQ 4–0 W 4' 64' Ansarifard, 67' Karimi, 88' Daghighi Karimi Report
28 July 2011 Maldives Malé, Maldives  Maldives 2014 WCQ 1–0 W 45+3' Khalatbari Karimi Report
2 September 2011 Iran Tehran, Iran  Indonesia 2014 WCQ 3–0 W 53' 74' Nekounam, 87' Teymourian Nekounam Report
6 September 2011 Qatar Doha, Qatar  Qatar 2014 WCQ 1–1 D 46' Aghily Nekounam Report
5 October 2011 Iran Tehran, Iran  Palestine Friendly 7–0 W 45' Ghazi, 49' Ansarifard, 55' Nekounam,
59' Montazeri, 70' Nouri, 58' 90' Kazemian		 Nekounam Report
11 October 2011 Iran Tehran, Iran  Bahrain 2014 WCQ 6–0 W 22' Hosseini, 34' Jabbari, 42' Aghily,
62' Teymourian, 75' Ansarifard, 83' Rezaei		 Nekounam Report
11 November 2011 Bahrain Manama, Bahrain  Bahrain 2014 WCQ 1–1 D 90+2' Jabbari Nekounam Report
15 November 2011 Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia  Indonesia 2014 WCQ 4-1 W 7' Meydavoudi, 20' Jabbari, 24' Rezaei, 72' Nekounam Nekounam Report
23 February 2012 United Arab Emirates Dubai, UAE  Jordan Friendly 2–2 D 67' Karimi, 90+2' Ghazi, Karimi Report
29 February 2012 Iran Tehran, Iran  Qatar 2014 WCQ 2–2 D 4' 54' Dejagah Nekounam Report

[edit] Forthcoming matches

Date Competition Location Opponent
2012
3 June 2012‡ Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
8 June 2012‡ Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
12 June 2012‡ Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
5 August 2012 [31] Friendly
15 August 2012‡ Friendly
7 September 2012‡ Friendly
11 September 2012‡ Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
12 October 2012‡ Friendly
16 October 2012‡ Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
14 November 2012‡ Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
Between 20 November 2012 and 23 December 2012 [32]

2012 West Asian Football Federation Championship
hosted by  Kuwait
2013
6 February 2013# Australia 2015 ACQ
22 March 2013# Australia 2015 ACQ
26 March 2013# Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
02 June 2013# Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
11 June 2013# Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
18 June 2013# Brazil 2014 WCQ Fourth Round
14 August 2013# * Friendly
11 October 2013# * Friendly
15 October 2013# Australia 2015 ACQ
15 November 2013# Australia 2015 ACQ
19 November 2013# Australia 2015 ACQ
2013[33][34] Friendly Tehran, Iran  Italy
*FIFA International match days [35]
‡AFC Calendar of Competitions 2012 (Men) [36]
#AFC Calendar of Competitions 2013 (Men) [37]
∞AFC Calendar of Competitions 2014 (Men) [38]

[edit] Records versus other nations

Main article: Iran national football team all-time record

[edit] Managers

Main article: List of Iran national football team managers
As of 29 February 2012
Manager career Played Won Drawn Lost Win % Honours
Iran Talebi, JalalJalal Talebi 2000–2001 &1000000000000002100000021 &1000000000000001300000013 &100000000000000050000005 &100000000000000030000003 &1000000000000006189999961.90 Quarterfinals at 2000 Asian Cup
Bosnia and Herzegovina Blažević, MiroslavMiroslav Blažević 2001–2002 &1000000000000001900000019 &1000000000000001000000010 &100000000000000040000004 &100000000000000050000005 &1000000000000005263000052.63
Croatia Ivanković, BrankoBranko Ivanković 2002–2006 &1000000000000005200000052 &1000000000000003300000033 &1000000000000001000000010 &100000000000000090000009 &1000000000000006346000063.46 Third place at 2004 Asian Cup
Qualification to 2006 WC
Iran Ghalenoei, AmirAmir Ghalenoei 2006–2007 &1000000000000001700000017 &1000000000000001000000010 &100000000000000050000005 &100000000000000020000002 &1000000000000005882000058.82 Quarterfinals at 2007 Asian Cup
Iran Daei, AliAli Daei 2008–2009 &1000000000000002400000024 &1000000000000001500000015 &100000000000000060000006 &100000000000000030000003 &1000000000000006250000062.50
Iran Ghotbi, AfshinAfshin Ghotbi 2009–2011 &1000000000000003000000030 &1000000000000001600000016 &100000000000000060000006 &100000000000000080000008 &1000000000000005332999953.33 Quarterfinals at 2011 Asian Cup
Portugal Queiroz, CarlosCarlos Queiroz 2011–0000 &1000000000000001100000011 &100000000000000070000007 &100000000000000040000004 &100000000000000000000000 &1000000000000006364000063.64

[edit] Coaching staff

Position Staff
Head Coach Portugal Carlos Queiroz
Assistant Coach Portugal António Simões
First Team Coach United States Omid Namazi ∞
Goalkeeper Coach Portugal Dan Gaspar ∗
Fitness Trainer Northern Ireland Mick McDermott
Scout & B team Coach Iran Markar Aghajanian

[edit] Players

The following 27 players were called up by Carlos Queiroz for the Friendly Match against Jordan on 23 February 2012 and World Cup Qualifiers against Qatar on 29 February 2012.[39]

Caps and goals updated as of 29 February 2012.

[edit] Current squad

0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Mehdi Rahmati 2 February 1983 (aged 28) 68 0 Iran Esteghlal
12 GK Alireza Haghighi 2 May 1988 (aged 23) 1 0 Russia Rubin Kazan
22 GK Mohammad Bagher Sadeghi 1 April 1989 (aged 22) 0 0 Iran Zob Ahan
GK Sosha Makani 18 November 1986 (aged 25) 0 0 Iran Naft Tehran
GK Mohsen Forouzan 03 May 1988 (aged 23) 0 0 Iran Tractor Sazi
2 DF Khosro Heydari 14 September 1983 (1983-09-14) (age 28) 34 0 Iran Esteghlal
3 DF Ehsan Hajsafi 25 February 1990 (aged 21) 42 2 Iran Tractor Sazi
4 DF Jalal Hosseini 3 February 1982 (aged 29) 68 5 Iran Sepahan
5 DF Hadi Aghily 15 January 1981 (aged 31) 64 10 Qatar Al Arabi
13 DF Hossein Mahini 16 September 1986 (aged 25) 8 0 Iran Zob Ahan
23 DF Mehrdad Pooladi 26 February 1987 (aged 24) 8 0 Iran Persepolis
DF Pejman Montazeri 6 September 1983 (aged 28) 2 1 Iran Esteghlal
DF Shoja' Khalilazadeh 1 May 1989 (aged 22) 0 0 Iran Mes Kerman
6 MF Javad Nekounam (captain) 7 September 1980 (aged 31) 125 30 Spain Osasuna
7 MF Mohammad Nouri 9 January 1983 (aged 29) 20 4 Iran Persepolis
8 MF Ali Karimi (vice-captain) 8 November 1978 (aged 33) 120 38 Iran Persepolis
15 MF Ghasem Haddadifar 12 July 1983 (aged 28) 9 0 Iran Tractor Sazi
17 MF Maziar Zare 22 December 1984 (aged 27) 20 3 Iran Persepolis
18 MF Pejman Nouri 13 July 1980 (aged 31) 41 3 United Arab Emirates Emirates
21 MF Ashkan Dejagah 5 July 1986 (aged 25) 1 2 Germany VfL Wolfsburg
24 MF Reza Haghighi 31 January 1989 (aged 23) 1 0 Iran Fajr Sepasi
25 MF Yaghoub Karimi 31 August 1991 (aged 20) 0 0 Iran Naft Tehran
27 MF Amir Hossein Feshangchi 7 January 1987 (aged 25) 4 0 Iran Persepolis
9 FW Mohammad Reza Khalatbari 14 September 1983 (aged 28) 45 2 United Arab Emirates Al Wasl
10 FW Karim Ansarifard 3 April 1990 (aged 21) 27 7 Iran Saipa
11 FW Gholamreza Rezaei 6 August 1984 (aged 27) 45 11 Iran Persepolis
16 FW Reza Norouzi 21 September 1982 (aged 29) 3 0 Iran Foolad
20 FW Mohammad Ghazi 30 December 1984 (aged 27) 8 2 Iran Zob Ahan

[edit] Recent callups

The following players have also been called up to the Iran squad within the last twelve months:

Name Date of Birth (Age) Club Caps (Goals) Debut Most Recent Callup
Goalkeepers
Shahab Gordan 22 May 1984 (1984-05-22) (age 27) Iran Zob Ahan 2 (0) v.  North Korea, 15 January 2011
Defenders
Mohsen Bengar 11 June 1979 (1979-06-11) (age 32) Iran Sepahan 12 (0) v.  Belarus, 20 August 2003 v.  South Korea, 22 January 2011
Farshid Talebi 8 December 1981 (1981-24-08) (age 30) Iran Zob Ahan 2 (0) v.  Uzbekistan, 5 September 2009 v.  South Korea, 22 January 2011
Midfielders
Masoud Shojaei 9 June 1984 (1984-06-09) (age 27) Spain Osasuna 37 (4) v.  Laos, 17 November 2004 v.  United Arab Emirates, 19 January 2010
Forwards
Mohammad Gholami 13 February 1983 (1983-02-13) (age 29) Iran Damash Gilan 13 (2) v.  China PR, 3 September 2010 v.  South Korea, 22 January 2011

[edit] Previous squads

[edit] World Cups

[edit] Asian Cups

See also Category:Iran international footballers

[edit] Most capped players

As of 29 February 2012, the players with the most caps for Iran are:

# Name Career Caps Goals
1 Ali Daei 1993–2006 149 109
2 Javad Nekounam* 2000–Present 125 30
3 Ali Karimi* 1998–Present 120 38
4 Mehdi Mahdavikia 1996–2009 111 12
5 Hossein Kaebi* 2002–Present 89 2
6 Karim Bagheri 1993–2010 87 50
7 Hamid Reza Estili 1990–2000 82 12
8 Javad Zarincheh 1987–2000 80 1
9 Mohammad Nosrati* 2002–present 80 5
10 Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh 1987–1998 79 0

The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
* denotes a player still playing or available for selection.

[edit] Top goalscorers

As of 29 February 2012, the players with the most goals for Iran are:

# Name Career Goals Caps Avg/Game
1 Ali Daei 1993–2006 109 149 0.73
2 Karim Bagheri 1993–2010 50 87 0.57
3 Ali Karimi* 1998–Present 38 120 0.31
4 Javad Nekounam* 2000–Present 30 125 0.24
5 Gholam Hossein Mazloomi 1969–1977 19 40 0.47
= Farshad Pious 1984–1994 19 34 0.56
7 Ali Asghar Modir Roosta 1990–1998 18 32 0.56
8 Vahid Hashemian 1998–2009 15 50 0.30
9 Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht* 2000–2008 14 77 0.18
10 Mehdi Mahdavikia 1996–2009 13 111 0.11
= Ali Parvin 1970–1980 13 76 0.17
= Hassan Rowshan 1974–1980 13 39 0.33
13 Parviz Ghelichkhani 1964–1977 12 64 0.19
= Hamid Reza Estili 1990–2000 12 82 0.15
15 Gholamreza Rezaei 2008–Present 11 45 0.25
16 Hadi Aghily 2006–Present 10 64 0.16
= Karim Bavi 1986–1989 10 23 0.43
= Farhad Majidi 1996–2011 10 45 0.22

The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
*denotes a player still playing or available for selection.

[edit] Iran captains

Iran National Football Team.JPG

As of 29 February 2012

# 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 74(44)
5 2006–2009 Mehdi Mahdavikia 111 (13) 1996–2009 20(1)
6 2009–Present Javad Nekounam 125 (30) 2000–Present 26(9)

[edit] 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)

[edit] Iran Asian Cup captains

# Matches As Captain Player Asian Cup Played As A Captain Years Active Caps(Goals)
1 4 (0)[40] Hassan Habibi Iran 1968 1958–1970 31 (0)
2 4 (0)[41] Mostafa Arab Thailand 1972 1959–1972 48 (2)
3 3 (0)[42] Parviz Ghelichkhani Iran 1976 1964–1977 64 (12)
4 5 (0)[43] Nasser Hejazi Kuwait 1980 1968–1980 62 (0)
5 6 (0)[44] Mohammad Panjali Singapore 1984 1978–1991 45 (0)
6 6 (0)[45] Sirous Ghayeghran Qatar 1988 1986–1992 40 (6)
7 3 (0)[46] Sirous Ghayeghran Japan 1992 1986–1992 40 (6)
8 1 (0)[47] Mojtaba Moharrami UAE 1996 1988–1996 37 (5)
9 4 (2)[48] 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)
12 3 (0) Javad Nekounam Qatar 2011 2000– 125 (29)

[edit] Honours

[edit] Continental

Champions (3): 1968, 1972, 1976
Champions (3): 1974, 1990, 1998
Runners-Up(2): 1951, 1966

†Young teams were favoured by AFC and the IOC, and since 2002 male competitors must be under 23 years old, with three over-23 players allowed per squad.

[edit] Regional

Champions (4): 2000, 2004, 2007*, 2008
Runners-Up(1): 2010
Champions (3): 1965, 1970, 1993
Runners-Up(2): 1967, 1969

[edit] Other

Champions (1): 2003
Runners-Up(1): 1991

* as B Team

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gFjH52cmVbpri-MZliC180-ysCXQ?docId=CNG.3d99b443b15130c2e8940c31d981a03e.151
  2. ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/902584/carlos-queiroz-agrees-deal-to-become-iran-coach?cc=5901
  3. ^ http://www.teammelli.com/matchdata/details/matches.php?
  4. ^ a b "Iran: Fixtures and Results". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=irn/fixturesresults/gender=m/index.html#. 
  5. ^ Iran World Cup 2006 team Profile from Football.co.uk
  6. ^ "Asian Games 1958 (Tokyo, Japan)". rsssf. http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/asgames58.html. 
  7. ^ "Iran: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=irn/ranking/gender=m/index.html. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  8. ^ Iran in World Cup 1978
  9. ^ "Iranian football facts". BBC News. 2001-11-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/football/world_cup_2002/1632238.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
  10. ^ a b FIFA World Cup 2006 Iran Team Overview
  11. ^ a b The History of Soccer [Football] in Iran – Team Melli :: Iran Visitor
  12. ^ A third half for Iranian football, by Christian Bromberger
  13. ^ France 1998 World Cup: 1st Round – Day 12 Match Reports
  14. ^ World Cup: U.S. eliminated from Cup after 2–1 loss to Iran
  15. ^ FIFA.com – 1998 FIFA World Cup France
  16. ^ France 1998 World Cup: 1st Round – Day 16 Match Reports
  17. ^ "FIFA suspends Iran Football Federation". FIFA. Archived from the original on 2007-01-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20070102093639/http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,126229,00.html. Retrieved 2006-11-27. 
  18. ^ "FIFA to lift Iran ban: Blatter". the-AFC.com. http://the-afc.com/english/media/default.asp?mnsection=media&section=newsDetails&newsID=7658. Retrieved 2006-12-17. [dead link]
  19. ^ "FIFA President announces temporary lifting of Iran ban". the-AFC.com. http://the-afc.com/english/media/default.asp?mnsection=media&section=newsDetails&newsID=7543. Retrieved 2006-11-27. [dead link]
  20. ^ News – Ali Daei named new Iran coach – Soccerway
  21. ^ Tait, Robert (2009-03-30). "Iran football coach Ali Daei loses job following team's defeat". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/30/iran-football-ali-daei. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
  22. ^ "FIFA.com". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/asia/standings/index.html. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  23. ^ "Iranian football team shows support for Mousavi with green arm bands at Seoul World Cup qualifier". The Daily Telegraph (London). 17 Jun 2009. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5559871/Iranian-football-team-shows-support-for-Mousavi-with-green-arm-bands-at-Seoul-World-Cup-qualifier.html. Retrieved 2009-06-17. 
  24. ^ Tiat, Robert (25 June 2009). "Iranian players receive life bans for gestures". The Guardian. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0625/1224249508070.html. Retrieved 2009-06-25. 
  25. ^ "Iran denies punishing players for wearing green wristbands". London: The Daily Telegraph. 2009-06-25. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/5634682/Iran-denies-punishing-players-for-wearing-green-wristbands.html. Retrieved 2009-06-25. 
  26. ^ Bell, Jack (2009-06-26). "Iran Did Not Suspend Players, Coach Says". The New York Times. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/iran-did-not-suspend-players-coach-says/. Retrieved 2009-06-27. 
  27. ^ Kayhan, p14, No.881, 7 November 2001
  28. ^ Clayton, Andy (24 June 2009). "Iran soccer players banned from national team after wearing green pro-opposition wristbands". NY Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2009/06/24/2009-06-24_iran_soccer_players_banned.html. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
  29. ^ "Iran says it didn't punish soccer players". CBC. 26 June 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2009/06/26/sp-iran-green.html. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
  30. ^ http://www.varzesh3.com/news.do?itemid=68085&title=%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7_%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A_%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%85_%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A_%D9%81%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84_%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%B4%D8%AF
  31. ^ http://live.varzesh3.com/news.do?itemid=65521&title=%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D9%8A_%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%85_%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A_%D8%AA%D8%A7_%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86_91%D8%8C%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%B4%D8%AF_
  32. ^ http://www.the-waff.com/more.asp?newsid=394&catid=1&lang=eng
  33. ^ تيم‌هاي ملي ايران و ايتاليا با هم ديدار مي‌کنند
  34. ^ Iran To Meet Italy In Football Friendly
  35. ^ "International match calendar(2010–2014)". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/worldfootball/calendar&live/51/52/61/internationalmc-fifa-dates-2010-2014-updateseptember2009-e.pdf. 
  36. ^ "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2012". http://new.qfa.com.qa/Data/Sites/1/pdf/compcalendar2012.pdf. 
  37. ^ "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2013". http://new.qfa.com.qa/Data/Sites/1/pdf/compcalendar2013.pdf. 
  38. ^ "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2014". http://new.qfa.com.qa/Data/Sites/1/pdf/compcalendar2014.pdf. 
  39. ^ http://www.varzesh3.com/news.do?itemid=68213&title=%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A27%E2%80%8C%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%DA%A9%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%87_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%8A%E2%80%8C%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%85%E2%80%8C%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%E2%80%8C%D9%81%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84
  40. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1968.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  41. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1972.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  42. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1976.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  43. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1980.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  44. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1984.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  45. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1988.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  46. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1992.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  47. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_1996.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 
  48. ^ "de beste bron van informatie over ورزشی. Deze website is te koop!". parssport.ir. http://www.parssport.ir/football/iran/national%20team/games/asian%20cup/asian_cup_2000.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-07. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
1964 Israel 		 Asian Champions
1968 (First title)
1972 (Second title)
1976 (Third title)		 Succeeded by
1980 Kuwait 
Preceded by

Myanmar

South Korea		 Asian Games Champions
1974 (First title)		 Succeeded by

North Korea

South Korea
Preceded by
South Korea 		 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  Iraq
Preceded by
2002  Iraq		 WAFF Champions
2004 (Second title)
2007 (Third title)
2008 (Fourth title)		 Succeeded by
2010  Kuwait
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
Baseball · Basketball (M, M U21, M U19, M U17, W) · Boxing · Cricket · Field hockey (M, W) · Football (W, M, M B, M U22, M U20, M U17, Beach) · Futsal (M, W) · Handball (M, W) · Rugby union (M, M 7) · Kabaddi · Tennis (M, W) · Volleyball (M, M U21, M U19, W) · Water polo · Wrestling (FS, GR)
Olympics · Paralympics · Asian Games
League competitions
Cup competitions
National teams
Men's · B-team · Women's · U-23 · U-20 · U-17 · U-15 · U-13 · Students
Lists and categories
National football teams of Iran
Senior
Youth
International association football
Asia
Africa
North America,
Central America
and the Caribbean
South America
Oceania
Europe
Non-FIFA
Games
National football teams of Asia (AFC)
Southeast Asia (ASEAN)
Central and South Asia (CSAFF)
East Asia (EAFF)
West Asia (WAFF)
Defunct
Former

1 Provisional Associate Member - Not a member of FIFA

2FIFA and AFC use Hong Kong and Macau; the EAFF uses Hong Kong, China and Macau, China.
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place
Eliminated in the second round
Eliminated in the group stage
France · Hungary · Iran · Mexico · Scotland · Spain · Sweden · Tunisia
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place
Eliminated in the quarter-finals
Eliminated in the round of 16
Eliminated in the group stage
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place
Eliminated in the quarter-finals
Eliminated in the round of 16
Eliminated in the group stage

[[lv:Irānas futbola izla

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iran_national_football_team&oldid=479670288"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages