Iran world cup
Iran’s quest for participation in the FIFA World Cup began in 1974, as the inaugural edition of the FIFA World Cup, known as the Jules Rimet Trophy, had permanently gone to Brazil in 1970.
Over the course of these 48 years, 13 World Cup tournaments have been held, with Iran registering for 11 of them. Out of these attempts, they successfully qualified six times and faced failure five times. Each of these campaigns has its own story, rich in life experiences, but here we will focus only on the stages of reaching the final phase.
1978; Inexperienced Superpower
When Iran succumbed to inexperience in the 1974 playoffs and handed the ticket to Germany, which eventually went to Australia, a valuable lesson was learned. In this edition, with strength and determination, Iran ascended. At that time, the World Cup featured the top 16 teams globally, with Asia and Oceania having only one slot. Iran’s football had progressed significantly in the ten years, and they were now aiming to compete with global powers. The winner of three consecutive AFC Asian Cups, the champion of the Asian Games, and the representative of the continent in two consecutive Olympics had secured their place in the World Cup without the need for points in the final match. Iran, in its first World Cup experience, was grouped with the Netherlands, Scotland, and Peru. Iranian players, inexperienced and facing renowned players of the time, struggled with a lack of confidence. In the first match, we were defeated 3-0 by the Netherlands, the runner-up of the previous edition who reached the final again in this tournament. In the second game, we drew 1-1 with Scotland, and both goals were scored by Iranians! In the third match, in an offensive attempt for qualification, we lost 4-1 to Peru and their great star Cubillas. Iran, in its initial experience, only gained one point from three games, conceding 8 goals, three of which were penalties, and one was an own goal. However, they managed to score two goals, courtesy of Hassan Roshan and Iraj Danaeifard.
1998; Dramatic Historic Achievement
Exactly 20 years after the first qualification, the golden generation, after the revolution, shattered the charm of the World Cup and did it in a dramatic way that still lingers in the memory of Iranians. Iran broke world records in the group stage. In the second round, they accumulated enough points that only required 2 more for direct qualification, but they lost two games and entered the playoffs with just one draw. In the playoffs, they lost to Japan, only to face Australia again, the obstacle that stood in the way of Iranian football. Two games and the miracle of Melbourne… Fate had it that even in the final stage, this World Cup would be historic for us. Grouped with Germany, Yugoslavia, and, of course, the USA, which had earned the title of the Match of the Century even before the World Cup due to political issues between the two countries. Unspoken but clear was that for Iranians, only victory against the USA mattered, not even winning the World Cup. Unfortunately, this aspect affected our team, too. On the eve of the World Cup, Ivic was dismissed, and just like 20 years ago, Iran was on the road to the World Cup with an Iranian coach. If after the revolution, Heshmat Mohajerani had taken an American passport, this time Jalal Talebi sat on Iran’s bench with an American passport! In the first game, we lost 1-0 to Yugoslavia. Then, in the match of the century, with goals from Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia, we defeated the USA 2-1 to record Iran’s first-ever victory in World Cup history. After this match, officials booked return tickets to Tehran and prepared for the reception of the national team! As if, regardless of the chance for advancement, the victory against the oldest Germany was crucial for Iranians. Nevertheless, for the officials of those days, it was enough up to this point. In the third game, Iran lost 2-0 to Germany, closing the chapter of this World Cup with one win and two losses. Two goals scored against four goals conceded, it was an improvement in every aspect compared to the first appearance.
2006; Struggle
When Miroslav Blažević couldn’t lead Iran to the 2002 World Cup, his assistant, Branko Ivanković, took over to fulfill the mission. Iran’s good results with Ivanković, coupled with poor performances under Hamid Estili, led to public pressure to bring back Branko. However, the new football administration in Iran fell into internal conflicts before the start of the World Cup. The head of the Physical Education Organization and the head of the Football Federation formed two opposing power factions. Within the team, a group of veterans created a division against the Bundesliga stars, causing harm to the team. Iran suffered from injuries to key players in this period but not to the extent of the struggle. In the first game, Iran lost 3-1 to Mexico, with our only goal scored by Yahya Golmohammadi. In the second game, after a substitution, Ali Daei refused to pass the captain’s armband to Mahdavikia from the opposing group! In the second match, Ali Daei became a substitute, and Iran lost 2-0 to Portugal with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo. The tradition of scoring two goals continued, and with a 1-1 draw against Angola, with a goal from Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh, we exited the World Cup with just one point from three games. In Germany, both the federation president and the national team coach bid farewell to Iran, and upon the team’s return, Ali Daei was also sidelined in a way that did not reflect his name, credibility, and achievements.
2014; Self-Confidence
When Iran needed seven points from the last three qualifying games to reach the World Cup, no one in football believed in Carlos Queiroz and his players. Mehdi Rahmati bid farewell to the national team, giving away the goalkeeper position, but the Portuguese man worked wonders, reviving the players’ self-confidence and pride. Iran won all three final games, securing a direct spot in the World Cup with 9 points. This confidence continued in the final stage, and against Argentina, with Lionel Messi, until the 90th minute, Iran was not only not a loser but could have won with a little help from the referee. In this edition, Iran was in the same group as Argentina, Nigeria, and Bosnia. The first match against Nigeria ended in a goalless draw. The shining performance in the second game against Argentina and its superstars prompted people to take to the streets for celebration after a loss in the previous match. In the last match, Iran attacked the opponent, which needed a win for advancement, but the experience of Edin Džeko and the Bosnian stars, all playing in top European clubs, proved challenging for us, and we lost 3-1. Thus, our record closed with one draw and two losses. This time, we conceded four goals and scored only one, with Reza Ghoochannejhad being the lone goal scorer against Bosnia, the same player who had secured Iran’s qualification to the World Cup with his goal in Ulsan.
2018; Dream
When Carlos Queiroz managed to take us to the World Cup for the first time in consecutive tournaments, it was clear that mere participation in the qualifying stage and playing three games would not satisfy anyone. Queiroz, with his work, raised a generation of young players in four years who were now experienced despite their young age. In the first game against Morocco, a well-calculated match ended with an own goal by Aziz Bouhaddouz in the 90th minute, securing Iran three points for the second historic victory in World Cup history. In the second match against Spain, Saeid Ezatolahi’s goal was disallowed, or else we could have stopped the reigning world champions. In the third game against Portugal, Queiroz’s compatriots, Alireza Beiranvand saved Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, and Karim Ansarifard converted his penalty to secure a 1-1 draw. With this draw, Iran accumulated four points from three games, breaking its record for points in the entire history of the World Cup. If Mehdi Taremi had scored in the final moments, Iran could have celebrated its first advancement to the next round.
Unfinished Mission
Qualifying for the knockout stage was an unfinished mission that Carlos Queiroz agreed to complete on the eve of the 2022 World Cup. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Iran once again found itself in a challenging group, facing England, Wales with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, and the USA again. In the first game, Iran had to face England, one of the current world powers. The second match was against Wales, featuring Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, and the third game was again against the USA, a tough opponent.
