Nation dossier · Group G · Out in the group stage
Iran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Latest Egypt 1–1 Iran · Group G
Title probability
0.0%
as of 2026-07-20
Overview
Team Melli arrive at the 2026 World Cup as Asia's perennial heavyweights, qualifying with their customary efficiency atop their group. Iran remain blessed with a generation of European-tested attackers, fronted by Inter Milan's Mehdi Taremi and the powerful Sardar Azmoun, giving them genuine firepower against any opponent.
The long-standing curse hangs over them, however: Iran have never progressed beyond the group stage in their World Cup history. With a settled defensive core and the attacking quality to spring an upset, this squad carries real ambition to finally break that ceiling.
Capital
Tehran
Population
88,500,000
Confederation
AFC
FIFA code
IRN
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 →Squad
- 186caps
Alireza Beiranvand
Tractor · First-choice goalkeeper, three-time World Cup squad
- 1215caps
Payam Niazmand
Persepolis · Reliable shot-stopping deputy
- 2213caps
Hossein Hosseini
Sepahan
- 218caps
Saleh Hardani
Esteghlal
- 3146caps
Ehsan Hajsafi
Sepahan · Captain, most-capped player in squad
- 458caps
Shojae Khalilzadeh
Tractor · Experienced no-nonsense stopper
- 576caps
Milad Mohammadi
Persepolis · Experienced left-back
- 1365caps
Hossein Kanaanizadegan
Persepolis · Central defender, six international goals
- 1714caps
Ariya Yousefi
Sepahan · Young versatile defender
- 1918caps
Ali Nemati
Foolad
- 2374caps
Ramin Rezaeian
Foolad · Veteran attacking full-back
- 250caps
Danial Eiri
Malavan · Uncapped young defender
- 683caps
Saeid Ezatolahi
Shabab Al Ahli · Defensive midfield anchor
- 799caps
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Dender EH · Former Premier League winger
- 837caps
Mohammad Mohebi
Rostov
- 1468caps
Saman Ghoddos
Kalba · Former Premier League midfielder
- 1540caps
Rouzbeh Cheshmi
Esteghlal · Scored winner vs Wales at 2022 World Cup
- 1652caps
Mehdi Torabi
Tractor · Direct goal-scoring winger
- 2116caps
Mohammad Ghorbani
Al Wahda
- 264caps
Amir Razzaghinia
Esteghlal · Youngest player in squad
- 9105caps
Mehdi Taremi
Olympiacos · Star striker, 60 international goals
- 1030caps
Medhi Ghayedi
Al Nasr · Attacking playmaker, ten international goals
- 1114caps
Ali Alipour
Persepolis
- 1818caps
Amir Hosseinzadeh
Tractor
- 2021caps
Shahriar Moghanlou
Kalba
- 240caps
Dennis Eckert
Standard Liège · German-born uncapped forward
Model
as of 2026-07-20Exp. points
3.00
Proj. finish
40.5
Seed Elo
1720
Title-probability trajectory
Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots
Matches
History
1978
Group stage
1998
Group stage
2006
Group stage
2014
Group stage
2018
Group stage
2022
Group stage
Culture
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.
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.