Iran at the FIFA World Cup

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]

Iran national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
As of 1 April 2024
Rank Team Part M W D L GF GA GD Points
1   Mexico 17 189 121 41 27 453 134 +319 404
2   Australia 16 165 99 40 26 422 125 +297 337
3   South Korea 16 155 97 40 18 311 91 +220 331
4   Costa Rica 17 187 93 47 47 309 184 +125 326
5   Iran 12 150 95 36 19 328 91 +237 321
6   Argentina 15 159 91 42 26 270 137 +133 315
7   Netherlands 19 135 89 26 20 329 101 +228 293
8   United States 19 168 84 40 44 287 191 +96 292
9   Uruguay 18 178 81 47 50 253 191 +62 290
10   Spain 19 125 87 26 12 291 81 +210 287

Record at the FIFA World Cup

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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
  1930 Not a FIFA member No qualification
  1934 Not a FIFA member
  1938
  1950 Did not enter Did not enter
  1954
  1958
  1962
  1966
  1970
  1974 Did not qualify 8 5 1 2 9 6
  1978 First round 14th 3 0 1 2 2 8 Squad 12 10 2 0 20 3
  1982 Withdrew Withdrew
  1986 Disqualified Disqualified
  1990 Did not qualify 6 5 0 1 12 5
  1994 11 5 3 3 23 13
  1998 Group stage 20th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad 17 8 6 3 57 17
    2002 Did not qualify 14 9 3 2 36 9
  2006 Group stage 25th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad 12 9 1 2 29 7
  2010 Did not qualify 14 5 8 1 15 9
  2014 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad 16 10 4 2 30 7
  2018 18th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad 18 12 6 0 36 5
  2022 26th 3 1 0 2 4 7 Squad 18 14 1 3 49 8
      2026 To be determined To be determined
            2030
  2034
  2038
Total First round 6/26 18 3 4 11 13 31 146 92 35 19 316 89

Argentina 1978

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Group 4

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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

Scotland  1–1  Iran
Eskandarian   43' (o.g.) Report Danaeifard   60'

Peru  4–1  Iran
Velásquez   2'
Cubillas   36' (pen.), 39' (pen.), 79'
Report Rowshan   41'

France 1998

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Group F

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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   FR 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
FR Yugoslavia  1–0  Iran
Mihajlović   72' (Report)

United States  1–2  Iran
McBride   87' (Report) Estili   40'
Mahdavikia   84'
Attendance: 39,100

Germany  2–0  Iran
Bierhoff   50'
Klinsmann   57'
(Report)

Germany 2006

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Group D

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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'

Portugal  2–0  Iran
Deco   63'
Ronaldo   80' (pen.)
(Report)

Iran  1–1  Angola
Bakhtiarizadeh   75' (Report) Flávio   60'
Attendance: 38,000

Brazil 2014

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Group F

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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
Attendance: 39,081
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

Argentina  1–0  Iran
Messi   90+1' Report

Bosnia and Herzegovina  3–1  Iran
Džeko   23'
Pjanić   59'
Vršajević   83'
Report Ghoochannejhad   82'

Russia 2018

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Group B

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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.)

Iran  0–1  Spain
Report Costa   54'
Attendance: 42,718

Iran  1–1  Portugal
Ansarifard   90+3' (pen.) Report Quaresma   45'
Attendance: 41,685

Qatar 2022

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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

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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

Wales  0–2  Iran
Report

Iran  0–1  United States
Report
Attendance: 42,127

By match

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

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Most appearances

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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

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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

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References

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  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.
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