Iran national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Iran have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on six occasions: in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022. They are yet to have progressed from the group stages.[1][2]

Record at the World Cup

See also: FIFA World Cup records and statistics § Overall team records
FIFA World Cup finals record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member No qualification
Italy 1934 Not a FIFA member
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 8 5 1 2 9 6
Argentina 1978 First round 14th 3 0 1 2 2 8 Squad 12 10 2 0 20 3
Spain 1982 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1986 Disqualified Disqualified
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 6 5 0 1 12 5
United States 1994 11 5 3 3 23 13
France 1998 Group stage 20th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad 17 8 6 3 57 17
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 14 9 3 2 36 9
Germany 2006 Group stage 25th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad 12 9 1 2 29 7
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 14 5 8 1 15 9
Brazil 2014 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad 16 10 4 2 30 7
Russia 2018 18th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad 18 12 6 0 36 5
Qatar 2022 26th 3 1 0 2 4 7 Squad 18 14 1 3 49 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain Argentina Paraguay Uruguay 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
United Nations 2038
Total First round 6/26 18 3 4 11 13 31 — 146 92 35 19 316 89

Argentina 1978

Group 4

Main article: 1978 FIFA World Cup Group 4
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Peru 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 5 Advance to second round
2  Netherlands 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 3
3  Scotland 3 1 1 1 5 6 −1 3
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 2 8 −6 1
Source: FIFA
Netherlands 3–0 Iran
Rensenbrink 40' (pen.), 62', 78' (pen.) Report
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza
Attendance: 33,431
Referee: Alfonso González Archundia (Mexico)
Scotland 1–1 Iran
Eskandarian 43' (o.g.) Report Danaeifard 60'
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba
Attendance: 7,938
Referee: Youssou N'Diaye (Senegal)
Peru 4–1 Iran
Velásquez 2'
Cubillas 36' (pen.), 39' (pen.), 79'		 Report Rowshan 41'
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba
Attendance: 21,262
Referee: Alojzy Jarguz (Poland)

France 1998

Group F

Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup Group F

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Germany 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Yugoslavia 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7
3  Iran 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2 3
4  United States 3 0 0 3 1 5 −4 0
Source: FIFA
Yugoslavia 1–0 Iran
Mihajlović 72' (Report)
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne
Attendance: 30,600
Referee: Alberto Tejada (Peru)
United States 1–2 Iran
McBride 87' (Report) Estili 40'
Mahdavikia 84'
Stade Gerland, Lyon
Attendance: 39,100
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)
Germany 2–0 Iran
Bierhoff 50'
Klinsmann 57'		 (Report)
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
Attendance: 29,800
Referee: Epifanio González (Paraguay)

Germany 2006

Group D

Main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup Group D

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Portugal 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Mexico 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
3  Angola 3 0 2 1 1 2 −1 2
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Mexico 3–1 Iran
Bravo 28', 76'
Zinha 79'		 (Report) Golmohammadi 36'
FIFA WM Stadion Nürnberg, Nuremberg
Attendance: 41,000
Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)
Portugal 2–0 Iran
Deco 63'
Ronaldo 80' (pen.)		 (Report)
FIFA WM Stadion Frankfurt, Frankfurt
Attendance: 48,000
Referee: Éric Poulat (France)
Iran 1–1 Angola
Bakhtiarizadeh 75' (Report) Flávio 60'
Zentralstadion, Leipzig
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Mark Shield (Australia)

Brazil 2014

Group F

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group F

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Argentina 3 3 0 0 6 3 +3 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Nigeria 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
3  Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
4  Iran 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Iran 0–0 Nigeria
Report
Arena da Baixada, Curitiba
Attendance: 39,081
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
Argentina 1–0 Iran
Messi 90+1' Report
Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte
Attendance: 57,698
Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3–1 Iran
Džeko 23'
Pjanić 59'
Vršajević 83'		 Report Ghoochannejhad 82'
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
Attendance: 48,011
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)

Russia 2018

Group B

Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup Group B

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Spain 3 1 2 0 6 5 +1 5 Advance to knockout stage
2  Portugal 3 1 2 0 5 4 +1 5
3  Iran 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
4  Morocco 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Morocco 0–1 Iran
Report Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.)
Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
Attendance: 62,548
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)
Iran 0–1 Spain
Report Costa 54'
Kazan Arena, Kazan
Attendance: 42,718
Referee: Andrés Cunha (Uruguay)
Iran 1–1 Portugal
Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.) Report Quaresma 45'
Mordovia Arena, Saransk
Attendance: 41,685
Referee: Enrique Cáceres (Paraguay)

Qatar 2022

Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Simultaneous to the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran, the team declined to sing the national anthem prior to their match with England.[3] Prior to the match, captain Ehsan Hajsafi, said that the team support protestors.[3]

Group B

Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup Group B
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  England 3 2 1 0 9 2 +7 7 Advanced to knockout stage
2  United States 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
3  Iran 3 1 0 2 4 7 −3 3
4  Wales 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
England 6–2 Iran
 Report
Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 45,334
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Wales 0–2 Iran
Report
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 40,875
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
Iran 0–1 United States
Report
Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 42,127
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

By match

World Cup Round Opponent Score Result Iran scorer(s)
1978 Group stage  Netherlands 0–3 L
 Scotland 1–1 D Danaeifard 60'
 Peru 1–4 L Rowshan 41'
1998 Group stage  FR Yugoslavia 0–1 L
 United States 2–1 W Estili 40', Mahdavikia 84'
 Germany 0–2 L
2006 Group stage  Mexico 1–3 L Golmohammadi 36'
 Portugal 0–2 L
 Angola 1–1 D Bakhtiarizadeh 75'
2014 Group stage  Nigeria 0–0 D
 Argentina 0–1 L
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–3 L Ghoochannejhad 82'
2018 Group stage  Morocco 1–0 W Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.)
 Spain 0–1 L
 Portugal 1–1 D Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.)
2022 Group stage  England 2–6 L Taremi 65', 90+13' (pen.)
 Wales 2–0 W Cheshmi 90+8', Rezaeian 90+11'
 United States 0–1 L

Records

Most appearances

Rank Player Matches World Cups
1 Ehsan Hajsafi 9 2014 and 2018 and 2022
2 Alireza Jahanbakhsh 8 2014 and 2018 and 2022
3 Karim Ansarifard 6 2014 and 2018 and 2022
Mehdi Taremi 6 2018 and 2022
Sardar Azmoun 6 2018 and 2022
Morteza Pouraliganji 6 2018 and 2022
Majid Hosseini 6 2018 and 2022
Mehdi Mahdavikia 6 1998 and 2006
Andranik Teymourian 6 2006 and 2014
10 Ali Daei 5 1998 and 2006
Javad Nekounam 5 2006 and 2014
Masoud Shojaei 5 2006 and 2014 and 2018

Most goals

Rank Player Goals World Cups
1 Mehdi Taremi 2 2022
2 Iraj Danaeifard 1 1978
Hassan Rowshan 1 1978
Hamid Estili 1 1998
Mehdi Mahdavikia 1 1998
Yahya Golmohammadi 1 2006
Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh 1 2006
Reza Ghoochannejhad 1 2014
Karim Ansarifard 1 2018
Rouzbeh Cheshmi 1 2022
Ramin Rezaeian 1 2022

See also

References

  1. ^ O'Callaghan, Eoin (20 June 2018). "Great Satan 1-2 Iran: the most politically charged match in World Cup history". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ^ "تاریخچه حضور ایران در جام جهانی" [History of Iran at the FIFA World Cup] (in Persian). 11 October 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Iran players decline to sing national anthem". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-11-22.

External links

Iran FIFA World Cup squads
Iran national football team
Countries at the FIFA World Cup
Categories