Iran
Coach: Amir Ghalenoei
Starting XI Prediction
Star Players
All Players →
Fixtures
Group G
Group G
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Belgium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Iran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 |  Egypt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 |  New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Full Squad Players List
| # | Player | Pos | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||
| 1 | Alireza BeiranvandXI Tractor | GK | |
| 2 | Hossein Hosseini Sepahan | GK | |
| 12 | Payam Niazmand Persepolis | GK | |
| 22 | Mohammed Khalifeh Aluminium Arak | GK | |
| Defenders | |||
| 3 | Milad MohammadiXI Persepolis | LB | |
| 4 | Danial Eiri Malavan | DEF | |
| 5 | Shoja KhalilzadehXI Tractor | CB | |
| 6 | Saleh Hardani Esteghlal | DEF | |
| 13 | Ramin RezaeianXI Foolad | RB | |
| 14 | Hossein KanaaniXI Persepolis | CB | |
| 15 | Ali Nemati Foolad | DEF | |
| 16 | Omid Noorafkan Foolad | DEF | |
| 23 | Ehsan Hajsafi Sepahan | LB | |
| Midfielders | |||
| 8 | Saeid EzatolahiXI Shabab Al-Ahli | CM | |
| 10 | Rouzbeh CheshmiXI Esteghlal | CM | |
| 11 | Mohammad Ghorbani Al-Wahda | MID | |
| 18 | Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia Esteghlal | MID | |
| 19 | Mehdi Torabi Tractor | MID | |
| 20 | Aria Yousefi Sepahan | MID | |
| 25 | Saman GhoddosXI Kalba | CAM | |
| Forwards | |||
| 7 | Alireza JahanbakhshXI Dender | RW | |
| 9 | Mehdi TaremiXI Olympiacos | ST | |
| 17 | Mehdi GhaediXI Al-Nasr | LW | |
| 21 | Mohammad Mohebi Rostov | RW | |
| 24 | Ali Alipour Persepolis | FWD | |
| 26 | Dennis Dargahi Standard Liège | FWD | |
| 27 | Hadi Habibinejad Chadormalou | FWD | |
| 28 | Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh Tractor | FWD | |
| 29 | Amirhossein Mahmoudi Persepolis | FWD | |
| 30 | Kasra Taheri Paykan | FWD | |
World Cup History
—
Titles
6
Appearances
15
WC Goals
3
Wins
Best finish: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022)
Top scorer: Ali Daei (3 goals)
Most capped: Javad Nekounam (12 matches)
Record: 3W – 3D – 12L
Iran are Asia's most consistent World Cup qualifiers behind Japan and South Korea — six appearances, always competitive but never advancing from the group stage. Team Melli are famous for their passionate support, the political significance of their matches, and the 1998 2-1 victory over the United States — one of the most politically charged results in football history.
Tournament Eras
The 1978 Debut
1978Iran made their World Cup debut in Argentina 1978 — drawing 1-1 with Scotland in a match featuring one of the great own goals (Eskandarian put the ball in his own net). They lost to the Netherlands and Peru but announced themselves to the world.
The US Match and Modern Consistency
1998–2022Iran's 2-1 victory over the United States in France 1998 — at the height of US-Iran political tensions — was one of football's most politically charged matches. Both teams exchanged flowers before kick-off. Iran's Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scored. Since then, Iran have qualified steadily but never replicated the result's symbolism. In 2022 they were competitive until the final group games.
Iconic Moments
Beating the United States — 1998
In Lyon, Iran beat the USA 2-1 in the most politically loaded match in World Cup history. Iranian fans brought white flowers; both teams posed together for a photo. After the whistle, Iran's players carried the flag of their nation around the pitch. The significance extended far beyond football.
The Wales Match — 2022 Comeback
Iran trailed Wales 0-0 heading into injury time — then scored twice in stoppage time to win 2-0. The comeback lifted Team Melli to the brink of the knockout rounds. Though they were ultimately eliminated, it was one of 2022's most dramatic final acts.