Iran at the FIFA World Cup
International football delegation
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Iran have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on six occasions: in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022. They are yet to progress from the group stages.[1][2]
In March 2025, they qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 2–2 home draw against Uzbekistan in the third round of AFC qualification and will make a seventh finals appearance.[3]
Record at the FIFA World Cup qualification
- As of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification - 1 March 2026
| Rank | Team | Part | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mexico | 17 | 189 | 121 | 41 | 27 | 453 | 134 | +319 | 404 |
| 2 |  Australia | 16 | 177 | 106 | 44 | 27 | 445 | 132 | +313 | 362 |
| 3 |  South Korea | 16 | 167 | 105 | 44 | 18 | 339 | 98 | +241 | 359 |
| 4 |  Iran | 12 | 162 | 103 | 39 | 20 | 351 | 101 | +250 | 348 |
| 5 |  Costa Rica | 18 | 197 | 98 | 51 | 48 | 334 | 191 | +141 | 345 |
| 6 |  Argentina | 15 | 171 | 98 | 44 | 29 | 293 | 145 | +148 | 338 |
| 7 |  Japan | 16 | 154 | 96 | 29 | 29 | 359 | 94 | +265 | 317 |
| 8 |  Netherlands | 20 | 143 | 95 | 28 | 20 | 356 | 105 | +251 | 313 |
| 9 |  Brazil | 14 | 145 | 90 | 37 | 18 | 304 | 92 | +212 | 307 |
| 10 |  Saudi Arabia | 13 | 154 | 89 | 38 | 27 | 288 | 116 | +172 | 305 |
| 11 |  Uruguay | 18 | 190 | 84 | 53 | 53 | 262 | 198 | +64 | 305 |
| 12 |  England | 18 | 130 | 92 | 27 | 11 | 336 | 70 | +266 | 303 |
| 13 |  Spain | 20 | 131 | 92 | 27 | 12 | 312 | 83 | +229 | 303 |
| 14 |  Portugal | 22 | 155 | 87 | 36 | 32 | 304 | 153 | +151 | 297 |
| 15 |  Belgium | 21 | 149 | 86 | 30 | 31 | 331 | 154 | +177 | 294 |
Record at the FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup finals record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 | Not a FIFA member | No qualification | ||||||||||||||
 1934 | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||||
 1938 | ||||||||||||||||
 1950 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
 1954 | ||||||||||||||||
 1958 | ||||||||||||||||
 1962 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||||||||||
 1974 | Did not qualify | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | |||||||||
| 1978 | First round | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | Squad | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 3 | |
| 1982 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Disqualified | Disqualified | ||||||||||||||
 1990 | Did not qualify | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | |||||||||
 1994 |
11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 13 | ||||||||||
 1998 | Group stage | 20th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Squad | 17 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 57 | 17 | |
 2002 | Did not qualify | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2006 | Group stage | 25th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Squad | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 7 | |
 2010 | Did not qualify | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2014 |
Group stage | 28th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Squad | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 7 | |
 2018 |
18th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Squad | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 5 | ||
 2022 | 26th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | Squad | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 49 | 8 | ||
 2026 |
qualified | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 12 | |||||||||
  2030 |
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2034 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | First round | 6/26 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 31 | — | 162 | 103 | 39 | 20 | 351 | 101 | |
Argentina 1978
Group 4
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peru |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 5 | Advance to second round |
| 2 | Netherlands |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 |  Scotland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Iran |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 3–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
Rensenbrink  40' (pen.), 62', 78' (pen.) |
Report |
| Scotland | 1–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Eskandarian 43' (o.g.) |
Report | Danaeifard 60' |
France 1998
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  FR Yugoslavia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 | |
| 3 | Iran |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 | United States |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
| FR Yugoslavia | 1–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Mihajlović 72' |
(Report) |
| United States | 1–2 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| McBride 87' |
(Report) | Estili 40' Mahdavikia 84' |
Germany 2006
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Mexico |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Angola |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 | |
| 4 | Iran |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
| Iran | 1–1 | Angola |
|---|---|---|
| Bakhtiarizadeh 75' |
(Report) | Flávio 60' |
Brazil 2014
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  Nigeria |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Iran |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Džeko 23' Pjanić 59'Vršajević 83' |
Report | Ghoochannejhad 82' |
Russia 2018
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Portugal |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Iran |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Morocco |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
| Morocco | 0–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.) |
Qatar 2022
Simultaneous to the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran, the team declined to sing the national anthem prior to their match with England.[4] Prior to the match, captain Ehsan Hajsafi, said that the team support protestors.[4]
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 7 | Advanced to knockout stage |
| 2 | United States |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Iran |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Wales |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 1 |
United States/Mexico/Canada 2026
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  Egypt |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Iran |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 |  New Zealand |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Political and security concerns
In the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Iran’s participation has been discussed in the context of political and security-related challenges involving the United States as one of the host countries. FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that Iran would participate in the tournament and emphasized that sport should remain separate from politics. However, concerns were raised regarding potential restrictions on entry for individuals associated with the Iranian delegation, with U.S. officials stating that while the national team itself would be allowed to compete, persons with alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could face visa and security restrictions. Although Iran’s participation was previously uncertain due to security concerns, reports indicate that the team is expected to take part in the tournament, and preparations have continued accordingly.[5][6][7]
By match
| # | World Cup | Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Iran scorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1978 | Group 4 | Netherlands | 0–3 | L | |
| 2 | Scotland | 1–1 | D | Danaeifard 60' | ||
| 3 | Peru | 1–4 | L | Rowshan 41' | ||
| 4 | 1998 | Group F | FR Yugoslavia | 0–1 | L | |
| 5 |  United States | 2–1 | W | Estili 40', Mahdavikia 84' | ||
| 6 | Germany | 0–2 | L | |||
| 7 | 2006 | Group D | Mexico | 1–3 | L | Golmohammadi 36' |
| 8 | Portugal | 0–2 | L | |||
| 9 | Angola | 1–1 | D | Bakhtiarizadeh 75' | ||
| 10 | 2014 | Group F | Nigeria | 0–0 | D | |
| 11 | Argentina | 0–1 | L | |||
| 12 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–3 | L | Ghoochannejhad 82' | ||
| 13 | 2018 | Group B | Morocco | 1–0 | W | Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.) |
| 14 | Spain | 0–1 | L | |||
| 15 | Portugal | 1–1 | D | Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.) | ||
| 16 | 2022 | Group B | England | 2–6 | L | Taremi 65', 90+13' (pen.) |
| 17 | Wales | 2–0 | W | Cheshmi 90+8', Rezaeian 90+11' | ||
| 18 | United States | 0–1 | L | |||
| 19 | 2026 | Group G | New Zealand | |||
| 20 | Belgium | |||||
| 21 | Egypt |
Records
Most appearances
| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ehsan Hajsafi | 9 | 2014 and 2018 and 2022 |
| 2 | Alireza Jahanbakhsh | 8 | 2014 and 2018 and 2022 |
| 3 | Karim Ansarifard | 6 | 2014 and 2018 and 2022 |
| Mehdi Taremi | 6 | 2018 and 2022 | |
| Sardar Azmoun | 6 | 2018 and 2022 | |
| Morteza Pouraliganji | 6 | 2018 and 2022 | |
| Majid Hosseini | 6 | 2018 and 2022 | |
| Mehdi Mahdavikia | 6 | 1998 and 2006 | |
| Andranik Teymourian | 6 | 2006 and 2014 | |
| 10 | Ali Daei | 5 | 1998 and 2006 |
| Javad Nekounam | 5 | 2006 and 2014 | |
| Masoud Shojaei | 5 | 2006 and 2014 and 2018 |
Most goals
| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mehdi Taremi | 2 | 2022 |
| 2 | Iraj Danaeifard | 1 | 1978 |
| Hassan Rowshan | 1 | 1978 | |
| Hamid Estili | 1 | 1998 | |
| Mehdi Mahdavikia | 1 | 1998 | |
| Yahya Golmohammadi | 1 | 2006 | |
| Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh | 1 | 2006 | |
| Reza Ghoochannejhad | 1 | 2014 | |
| Aziz Bouhaddouz (Morocco; own goal) | 1 | 2018 | |
| Karim Ansarifard | 1 | 2018 | |
| Rouzbeh Cheshmi | 1 | 2022 | |
| Ramin Rezaeian | 1 | 2022 |
Head-to-head record
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Argentina |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
| England |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0.00 |
| Germany |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Mexico |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Morocco |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Netherlands |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Nigeria |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Peru |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Portugal |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Scotland |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Spain |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| United States |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 50.00 |
| Wales |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
| FR Yugoslavia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Total | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 31 | −18 | 16.67 |