Country profile
Iran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Key facts
Capital
Tehran
Population
88,500,000
Confederation
AFC
FIFA code
IRN
Overview
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a vast and ancient land bridging the Middle East and Central Asia, home to over 85 million people and one of the world's oldest continuous civilisations. From the deserts of the central plateau to the Caspian coast and the Zagros mountains, it is a country of striking geographic and cultural diversity.
Football is comfortably the nation's most popular sport, a unifying passion that fills the 78,000-seat Azadi Stadium and turns major matches into events of national significance. The men in red, white and green — Team Melli — carry the hopes of a football-mad public both at home and across a huge global diaspora.
Football culture
Football is woven into daily Iranian life, with the Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal among Asia's fiercest and most passionate rivalries. The national team commands enormous emotional investment, and qualification campaigns dominate public conversation.
World Cup history
Iran have qualified for six World Cups, including a notable run of three consecutive appearances from 2014 to 2022. Despite producing memorable wins — most famously over the USA in 1998 and Wales in 2022 — they have never escaped the group stage.
Location
Did you know
- Iran's Azadi Stadium has hosted some of the loudest crowds in Asian football history.
- Tehran's Persepolis–Esteghlal derby regularly draws crowds of over 80,000.
- Iran's 1998 victory over the USA remains one of the World Cup's most politically charged matches.
- Iran have topped Asian qualifying groups with remarkable consistency over two decades.
- Mehdi Taremi became one of Serie A's most coveted forwards after starring for Porto.
From Wikipedia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, historically known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and the…
Source: Wikipedia →