Iran Formations and Results by Competition

Iran formations

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About Iran

The Iranian Football Federation was not established until 1920 and it would take a further 58 years to make their first appearance at a World Cup. In 1978 they made their bow in a tough group alongside Peru, Scotland, and the Netherlands. They managed to claim one point in their group, against the fancied Scots and it was regarded as a hugely positive step forward for the nation. The 1979 Iranian Revolution put football in the background but they would eventually return to the competition in France 98 which would be the location of their best-ever World Cup moment. When Iran was drawn alongside the United States in the group stage, organisers were concerned due to the political unrest between the two nations. However, both sets of players, in a great display of solidarity, exchanged pictures and flowers before the match, before Iran went on to win 2-1 with Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia getting the goals, securing the nation’s first and only win at the World Cup. Iran subsequently qualified for the 2006 and 2014 editions of the tournament, and claimed their first-ever clean sheet in the latter, when they held Nigeria to a goalless draw. They also qualified for the 2018 World Cup, with their recent successes coming under the control of former Real Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz. Iran’s record appearance-maker is Javad Nekounam with 151 caps, while their top scorer is Ali Daei, who is the world’s all-time leading goalscorer in international matches.