Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
Governing body of association football in Iran
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The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI; Persian: فدراسیون فوتبال جمهوری اسلامی ایران, romanized: Fedrasion-e Football-e Jomhuri-e Eslami-e Iran) is the governing body for football in Iran. It was founded in 1920.[4] The federation has been a member of FIFA since 1948[5] and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1958.[citation needed]
History
The federation was founded in 1920,[4] has been a member of FIFA since 1948, and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1954.
In 2001, Iran was a founding member of the West Asian Football Federation, along with Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.[citation needed]
In 2014, Iran was a founding member of the Central Asian Football Association alongside Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.[6]
Controversies
On 23 November 2006, the federation was suspended by FIFA,[7] due to government interference in football matters. FIFA rules decree that a national football federation should remain autonomous from the national government. However, on 17 December 2006, the ban was lifted and a new Transitory Board was composed.
During the 2009 Iranian election protests, seven members of the Iran national football team were initially reported to have been banned for life by the federation for wearing green armbands in support of the Iranian Green Movement.[8]
Iran women's national football team was briefly suspended by FIFA from international competition in 2011 for being required by the federation to wear headscarves.[9][10]
In 2015, the federation banned players from the men's national team due to conscription problems.[11][12]
In August 2017, the federation banned Masoud Shojaei and Ehsan Hajsafi from the national team after they played against the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa League.[13]
On 9 November 2018 Fatma Samoura, Secretary General of International Federation of Football Association FIFA said she would ask the Iranian government to end the ban on women's entry to sports stadiums.[14] On 7 August 2019, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, prosecutor general of Iran, supporting the ban, said that it should not concern FIFA if women in Iran can enter sports stadiums or not.[15] However, after continuous pressure from FIFA, IRNA deputy Sports Minister Jamshid Taghizadeh said women would be allowed to enter Azadi Stadium to watch the men's World Cup 2022 qualifier match between Iran and Cambodia in October.[16] However, in March 2022, Iranian women were again banned from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier.[17]
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the Iranian government and federation reportedly sent paid members of the Basij and IRGC to cheer for the team in the stands and to counter protesters.[18][19]
In April 2024, goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini was summoned, suspended, and fined by the Iranian federation for hugging a female fan.[20][21][22] In October 2024, Zahra Ghanbari was suspended and forced to apologize by the Iranian federation for "improper hijab" during a goal celebration at the 2024–25 AFC Women's Champions League.[23] In December 2024, defender Ramin Rezaeian was summoned by the federation as well after hugging a female fan.[24]
Prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, a group stage match scheduled to be played in Seattle was designated as a "Pride Match" by the City of Seattle to coincide with the city's annual Pride celebrations and to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.[25] Following the draw, the fixture was confirmed to be the match between Iran and Egypt. Both Iran and Egypt are countries where homosexuality is criminalized under domestic law, with Iran in particular having imposed capital punishment in certain cases.[26] The Iranian Football Federation and the Egyptian Football Association objected to the match's designation; however, FIFA and local organizers confirmed that associated LGBTQ+ events would proceed, and that rainbow flags would be permitted inside the stadium.[27][28]
In January 2026, multiple Iranian footballers and athletes were killed during the 2026 Iran massacres amid the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, including former Tractor Sazi F.C. midfielder Mojtaba Tarshiz, prompting former Iran national team captain Masoud Shojaei to criticise FIFA for its silence over the killing of Iranian athletes during protests, while then-captain Mehdi Taremi expressed solidarity with the Iranian people.[29][30][31] On 14 January, the federation, along with the Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation, were exempt from posting a picture to their Instagram accounts opposing Donald Trump's threats to attack Iran for its response to the protests, and also claiming that athletes were killed during the Israel–Iran War.[32] After the massacres, the AFC ruled that Iranian clubs cannot host AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two matches at home, and would therefore have to move them to neutral venues.[33] Following the massacres, activists called on FIFA to ban the Iranian national team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[34][35] Ali Karimi, a former footballer for the Iran national team, along with a coalition of prominent Iranians, wrote an open letter to FIFA and all its member associations, calling on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to speak up on the protest deaths.[36] Following the protests and ensuing crackdown, the Spanish Football Federation reportedly pulled out of a planned friendly match with Iran.[37]
After a number of players resigned from the Iran women's national football team and refereeing organization following the massacres, the Iranian football federation reportedly threatened them with multi-year bans from professional football activities, judicial action, and long prison sentences.[38] In March 2026, after the Iran women's national football team players refused to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic as a form of silent protest ahead of their 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup opener against South Korea, concerns grew for their safety following threats from Iranian state media.[39][40] Ahead of the following match against Australia, the national team players were reportedly forced to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with threats to the players' family members if they did not.[41] After the team's exit from the tournament on 8 March, members of the team gave what appeared to be SOS hand signals from the bus as they were leaving, leading to protests and growing calls for Australia to offer the team refuge after the players were accused of being wartime traitors by Iranian state media for not singing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic in their opening game amid the Iran war.[42][43][44][45]
Competitions
Men's
Women's
- Kowsar Women Football League
- Hazfi Cup (women)
- Iranian Supercup (women)
Membership
Presidents
| Presidency [47] | President | Took office | Left office | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Kani | 1947 | 1950 | Runners-up of 1951 Asian Games |
| 2 | Hedayatollah Gilanshah | 1950 | 1952 | Commander of Imperial Iranian Air Force (1952) |
| 3 | Mohsen Haddad | 1952 | ||
| 4 | Hossein Siasi | 1952 | 1953 | |
| (3) | Mohsen Haddad | 1953 | 1954 | second term |
| (4) | Hossein Siasi | 1954 | second term | |
| (1) | Ali Kani | 1954 | 1955 | second term |
| 5 | Mostafa Salimi | 1955 | 1956 | |
| 6 | Hossein-Ali Mobasher | 1956 | 1958 | |
| 7 | Mostafa Mokri | 1958 | 1960 | |
| 8 | Zabih Khabiri | 1960 | 1961 | |
| 9 | Hossein Soroudi | 1961 | 1962 | |
| (6) | Hossein-Ali Mobasher | 1962 | 1967 | second term qualified to 1964 Olympics Runners-up of 1966 Asian Games |
| (9) | Hossein Soroudi | 1967 | 1968 | second term |
| (7) | Mostafa Mokri | 1968 | 1972 | second term winner of 1968 Asian Cup and 1972 Asian Cup qualified to 1972 Olympics |
| 10 | Kambiz Atabay | 1972 | 1979 | Presidents of AFC (1 August 1976 - 9 December 1978) qualified to 1978 World Cup qualified to 1976 Olympics winner of 1976 Asian Cup Founder of Takht Jamshid Cup winner of 1974 Asian Games |
| 11 | Naser Noamooz | 1979 | 1980 | first president after Revolution qualified to 1980 Olympics but boycotted the event Third place of 1980 Asian Cup |
| 12 | Hadi Tavoosi | 1980 | 1981 | |
| 13 | Hossein Abshenasan | 1981 | ||
| 14 | Hossein Raghfar | 1981 | 1982 | youngest president of FFIRI ever at 28 years old[48] |
| (13) | Hossein Abshenasan | 1982 | 1983 | second term |
| 15 | Behrooz Sahabeh | 1984 | ||
| 16 | Nasrollah Sajjadi | 1985 | ||
| 17 | Ali Mohammad Mortazavi | 1986 | 1987 | |
| 18 | Mohammad Reza Pahlavan | 1987 | 1989 | Third place of 1988 Asian Cup |
| (11) | Naser Noamooz | 1989 | 1993 | second term winner of 1990 Asian Games Founder of Azadegan League |
| 19 | Mohammad Safizadeh | 1993 | 1994 | |
| 20 | Amir Abedini | 1994 | chairman of Persepolis (1993—2001) | |
| 21 | Dariush Mostafavi | 1994 | 1997 | Third place of 1996 Asian Cup |
| 22 | Mohsen Safaei Farahani | 1997 | 2002 | qualified to 1998 World Cup winner of 1998 Asian Games and 2002 Asian Games Founder of Iran Pro League winner of 1998 FIFA Fair Play Award member of Iranian Parliament (2000-2004) |
| 23 | Mohammad Dadkan | 2002 | 2006 | Third place of 2004 Asian Cup qualified to 2006 World Cup Third place of 2006 Asian Games |
| (22) | Mohsen Safaei Farahani | 2006 | 2008 | second term interim, appointed by FIFA |
| 24 | Ali Kafashian | 2008 | 2016[49] | qualified to 2014 World Cup 2008 and 2012 Best Asian Football Federation of the Year [50] |
| 25 | Mehdi Taj | 2016[51] | 2019[52] | qualified to 2018 World Cup |
| — | Heydar Baharvand (acting) | 2019 | 2021 | |
| 26 | Shahaboddin Azizi Khadem | 2021 | 2022 | qualified to 2022 World Cup Dismissal due to incompetence |
| — | Mirshad Majedi (acting) | 2022 | ||
| (25) | Mehdi Taj | 2022 | Present | second and third term |
| # | President | Stability[53] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Kafashian | 8 years and 4 months |
| 2 | Kambiz Atabay | 7 years and 6 months |
| 3 | Mehdi Taj | 7 years and 1 months |
| 4 | Mohsen Safaei Farahani | 4 years and 9 months |
| 5 | Mostafa Mokri | 4 years and 6 months |
| 6 | Hossein-Ali Mobasher | 4 years |
| 7 | Naser Noamooz | 3 years and 10 months |
| 8 | Mohammad Dadkan | 3 years and 9 months |
| 9 | Ali Kani | 3 years and 7 months |
Board members
- As of 1 March 2025.
|
National teams
Head coach: Amir Ghalenoei
Head coach: Reza Enayati
Head coach: Samad Marfavi
Head coach: Hossein Abdi
- Iran national under-15 football team
Head coach: Ali Doustimehr
Head coach: Vahid Shamsaei
- Iran national under-20 futsal team
Head coach: Ali Sanei
Head coach: Ali Naderi
Head coach: Maryam Azmoon
- Iran women's national under-23 football team
Head coach: TBD
Head coach: TBD
Head coach: Shadi Mahini
Head coach: TBD