Iran

Iran

IR Iran's national football team, known as Team Melli, is the most successful national side in Asian football history. Iran has won the AFC Asian Cup three times (1968, 1972, 1976) and has appeared at five FIFA World Cups (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022). Iran topped their 2022 World Cup qualifying group and has consistently been ranked among Asia's elite teams. Notable players include Ali Daei, the first player in history to score 100 international goals, and current stars such as Sardar Azmoun, Mehdi Taremi, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh — all of whom play at top European clubs. Managed over the years by coaches including Carlos Queiroz, Iran remains the benchmark for football excellence across the continent and consistently produces elite-level talent.