Iran FIFA World Cup: Iran National Football Team History

 Iran FIFA World Cup: The Iran national football team recognized by FIFA as IR Iran, represents Iran in 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 secured three Asian Games titles in 1974, 1990, and 1998.

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The nation's best performance at the world level was reaching the quarterfinals at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In the FIFA World Cup, Iran has qualified six times (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2022), but they have never progressed beyond the group stages. However, they have 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.

Additionally, the team won the intercontinental AFC–OFC Challenge Cup in 2003. The Iranian Football Federation was founded in 1920. In 1926, a Tehran XI team, consisting of selected players from Tehran Club, Toofan F.C., and Armenian Sports Club, traveled to Baku, USSR. This was the first away football match for an Iranian team, marking the beginning of what would become Iran's national football team.

Team Melli played its first match on 23 August 1941, securing a 1–0 win against British India in Kabul. Iran's first FIFA international match followed shortly after, on 25 August 1941, away at Afghanistan. Iran won the Asian Cup three consecutive times (1968, 1972, 1976) but has not added to these titles since.

Iran's Football Journey: From Neglect to Historic Victories and World Cup Hopes

During the group stage, Iran lost two out of three matches against the Netherlands and Peru. However, Team Melli surprised many by securing a point in a 1–1 draw against Scotland, with Iraj Danaeifard equalizing after an own goal by Andranik Eskandarian. After the Iranian Revolution, football in Iran experienced a period of neglect. During the 1980s, the national team did not participate in World Cup competitions due to the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88) and its aftermath.

The team withdrew from the Asian qualifiers for the 1982 World Cup and refused to participate in the 1986 qualifiers because they had 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.

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Despite failing to qualify for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, this period saw the emergence of several quality players who laid the foundation for Iran's third-place finish in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. Notable victories in that tournament included a 3–0 win against Saudi Arabia and a 6–2 win against South Korea, setting the stage for Iran's return to the World Cup in 1998.

In their first game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Iran lost 1–0 to Yugoslavia following a free kick by Sinisa Mihajlovic. However, Iran recorded their first World Cup victory in their second game, beating and eliminating the United States 2–1 with goals from Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia. The match against the US was highly anticipated due to the countries' political tensions following the Iranian Revolution and the Iran hostage crisis.

Iran's Rollercoaster Journey in World Cup and Asian Cup Football

In a show of sportsmanship, both teams exchanged gifts and flowers and took ceremonial photos before kickoff. Iran faced Germany in their third game, losing 2–0 with goals from Oliver Bierhoff and Jürgen Klinsmann, finishing third in their group. In the 2000 Asia Cup, Iran finished first in the group stage but lost to South Korea in the quarter-finals.

They failed to qualify for the 2002 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. Following this elimination, manager Miroslav Blazevic stepped down and was replaced by his assistant Branko Ivankovic. In the 2004 Asian Cup, Iran was drawn with Thailand, Oman, and Japan, finishing second in the group. They won a quarter-final clash against South Korea 4–3 but lost to host China on penalty kicks.

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Iran was the highest-ranked team to be seeded in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. Drawn into the second round, they faced Iraq, Bahrain, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. Under new Belgian manager Marc Wilmots, Iran began with a 2–0 win over Hong Kong away. The subsequent 14–0 victory over Cambodia allowed select Iranian women to enter the stadium for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, following the death of Sahar Khodayari.

However, Iran then suffered consecutive defeats away against Bahrain and Iraq, losing 0–1 and 1–2, respectively. These setbacks, coupled with draws between Iraq and Bahrain, left Iran at risk of being eliminated in the second round, leading to the sacking of Marc Wilmots.

Iran's World Cup Journey Amidst Controversy and Political Turmoil

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. However, in March 2022, Iranian women were once again banned from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier. Iran's friendly match against Canada at BC Place in June 2022 was canceled by the Canadian Soccer Association amid opposition and criticism, particularly regarding the Iranian government's role in shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.

Stadium security confirmed they were ordered to confiscate anything but the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Documents obtained by Iran International showed Iran was coordinating with Qatar to control attendance and restrict dissent. Ahead of Iran's final group stage match against the United States, Iranian players were reportedly threatened with violence and torture against their families by IRGC members if they did not sing the national anthem or joined protests against the regime.

During the World Cup and 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 was eventually knocked out in the semi-final of the Asian Cup by hosts Qatar. After the game, Iranian officials reportedly arrested ten teenagers in Javanrud for celebrating the team's elimination from the tournament.

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