Iran compete in Group Seven of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Record:
-
AFC Asian Cup winners in 1968, 1972, and 1976
-
FIFA ranking: 21
-
Last World Cup appearance: 2022
-
Nickname: Team Melli (The National Team)
-
Top clubs: Persepolis, Esteghlal Tehran
Qualification: Iran dominated their group in the third round of Asian qualifying, finishing top of Group One ahead of Uzbekistan. They recorded seven wins and two draws — both against their Central Asian runners-up — with only one defeat, 0–1 against Qatar.
Coach: Former Iranian international midfielder Amir Ghalenoei, who began his coaching career in 1999, has spent most of it in his home country managing several clubs including Esteghlal Tehran, where he also played. He took charge of the national team in 2023, succeeding Portugal's Carlos Queiroz.
Star player: Olympiacos striker Mehdi Taremi, who has scored 57 goals for Team Melli, is Iran's most potent attacking weapon. His importance grows in the absence of fellow 57-goal scorer Sardar Azmoun, who was not called up. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Roma player was recently branded a "traitor" in official Iranian media after a photo emerged in March, amid the US-Israeli war, showing him alongside the ruler of Dubai in the UAE — where he plays and lives — though the coach insisted his selections were based solely on "technical criteria."
Ambitions: Iran have become a regular World Cup presence in recent years, coming close to reaching the round of 16 on multiple occasions after finishing third in their groups in both 2018 and 2022, including a notable 1–1 draw with Portugal in Russia. Behind Belgium — the group's clear favourites — a second-place finish looks attainable, in direct competition with Egypt.