Also known as Team Melli, Iran is one of the most successful teams in Asia as they have won three Asian Cup championships in 1968, 1972, and 1976.
Coming to the World Cup, they have qualified for the global showpiece on five occasions, in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, and 2018.
However, they have never advanced past the group stage and their only win in the World Cup was a 2–1 victory against the United States in 1998 in France.
Their first qualification for the World Cup came in 1978 after defeating Australia in Tehran and in their campaign en route to Russia, they had managerial issues with coach Carlos Queiroz.
After beginning their campaign with friendlies against Chile and Sweden, Queiroz resigned from his managerial post due to disagreements with the Iranian Football Federation, but announced that he will continue for their 2018 World Cup campaign.
Iran became the second team to qualify the World Cup in 2018 after a 2-0 win at home over Uzbekistan on June 12, 2017. They also clincheda first place in their qualification group after South Korea's defeat to Qatar.
epa06840066 Vahid Amiri (R) of Iran and Adrien Silva of Portugal in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06840054 Vahid Amiri (L) of Iran and Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06840039 Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (L) and Mehdi Taremi of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839961 Cedric (L) of Portugal and Mehdi Taremi of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839948 Andre Silva of Portugal (2R) and Morteza Pouraliganji of Iran during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839981 Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal (L) and Alireza Jahanbakhsh of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839990 Pepe (L) of Portugal and Sardar Azmoun of Iran go for a header during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839996 Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Mehdi Taremi of Iran (R) in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839901 Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839888 Andre Silva of Portugal (front) and Ramin Rezaeian of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Portugal in Saransk, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06825669 Isco (R) of Spain and Omid Ebrahimi of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825581 Sergio Ramos (L) of Spain and Sardar Azmoun of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825592 Ramin Rezaeian (L) of Iran and Isco of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
Karim Ansarifard (L) of Iran and Dani Carvajal of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825488 Sergio Busquets (L) of Spain and Sardar Azmoun of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825491 Ehsan Haji Safi (L) of Iran and Lucas Vazquez of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825498 Andres Iniesta (L) of Spain and Mehdi Taremi (R) of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825508 Ehsan Haji Safi (L) of Iran and Dani Carvajal of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825470 Ehsan Haji Safi (L) of Iran and Lucas Vazquez of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Iran and Spain in Kazan, Russia, 20 June 2018.
Iran's players celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810611 Morteza Pouraliganji of Iran and Ayoub El Kaabi of Morocco (R) in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810575 Amine Harit of Morocco (R) and Ramin Rezaeian of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810588 Younes Belhanda of Morocco (L) and Karim Ansarifard of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810609 Masoud Shojaei of Iran and Mbark Boussoufa of Morocco (L) in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810610 Karim El Ahmadi of Morocco (R) and Sardar Azmoun of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
Hakim Ziyach (L) of Morocco and Vahid Amiri of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
Mehdi Benatia of Morocco (R) and Sardar Azmoun of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810574 Amine Harit of Morocco (R) and Omid Ebrahimi of Iran in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group B preliminary round soccer match between Morocco and Iran in St.Petersburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
Iran
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