Iran are at the World Cup for the fourth consecutive tournament, and seventh time overall. And they’ll be hoping to get out of the group stage for the first time ever.
Iran won just one of their three group games last time out and had their second-worst tournament in terms of goals conceded, letting in seven. But the current crop will be optimistic about making history.
Get all the latest Iran stats as the tournament unfolds plus the latest squad, manager and fixture information for the Asian side here.
Iran route to the World Cup
Iran played 16 matches across two separate group stages to book their place at the World Cup. The Lion Hearts came up against fellow qualifiers Uzbekistan in both phases, drawing with them on all four occasions.
Qatar were the only other team to take points from Iran, but that 1-0 defeat came after they’d already qualified.
This represented one of Iran’s strongest qualification campaigns, while they’ve now lost just four of their last 52 World Cup qualifiers, starting with the sequence for the 2018 tournament.
Iran World Cup 2026 fixtures
Iran open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on 15th June. This is arguably their most important game, with a failure to win here leaving them with a mountain to climb.
After that, it’s group favourites Belgium once again in Inglewood, before they take on Egypt in Seattle in what could be a deciding match for second place.
READ MORE: Get the latest Iran World Cup 2026 outright odds here
Iran key players for World Cup 2026
Iran top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Mehdi Taremi
- Key stat: Mehdi Taremi is the only Iranian player to score more than one World Cup goal.
Mehdi Taremi scored 10 goals during World Cup qualifying, drawing him level with Son Heung-min and second only to Almoez Ali in the Asian section.
The Olympiacos striker continues to deliver the goods at the European club level, while he’s now third only to Ali Daei (108) and the still-active Sardar Azmoun (57) on Iran’s all-time goalscorer list, netting 56 times in 101 caps.
But what stands Taremi apart is his brace against England at the 2026 World Cup, which makes him the only Iranian player to score more than once at the World Cup.
Iran primary playmaker: Alireza Jahanbakhsh
With no Sardar Azmoun in the squad, the creative burden falls on Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s shoulders.
The experienced wideman, who now plies his trade in Belgium, is one of the more experienced members of the Iran squad.
He’s just two caps away from breaking the 100 milestone and should reach that landmark achievement during the World Cup.
Iran card magnet & top tackler: Saleh Hardani
- Key stat: Saleh Hardani made 21 tackles during World Cup qualifying and was sent off once.
Esteghlal full-back Saleh Hardani proved incredibly hard to beat during qualifying, locking down the right side with 21 tackles and a 64.5% duel success rate, while only being dribbled past four times.
However, the 29-year-old did overstep the mark once, being shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Uzbekistan’s Eldor Shomurodov in October.
Iran rising star: Amirmohammad Razzaghinia
20-year-old Amirmohammad Razzaghinia made the cut despite his limited international experience.
The midfielder plies his trade for Iranian outfit Esteghlal and established himself as a first-team regular as he made 21 appearances before the season was postponed following the breakout of the Iran War.
STAND-OUT STAT: Iran averaged more interceptions than any other team at the 2022 World Cup with 14 per match.
Iran set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Mehdi Taremi
- Free kicks: Mehdi Taremi
- Corners: Saman Ghoddos
Tactical analysis and formation
Team stats (World Cup qualifying)
- Corners: 33
- Shots on target: 6.2 per match
- GK saves: 1.9 per match
- Average possession: 55.1%
Iran will most likely line up in a 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 hybrid at the World Cup, with the bulk of the attacking responsibilities given to Mehdi Taremi and Mehdi Ghayedi with no Sardar Azmoun in the squad.
Hossein Kanaanizadegan provides plenty of experience in a solid enough backline, with Saeid Ezatolahi potentially being partnered by youngster Amirmohammad Razzaghinia rather than the more experienced ex-Brentford man Saman Ghoddos.
Get the latest Iran World Cup goals, shots, tackle, assist stats are more here.
Iran manager analysis
This is Amir Ghalenoei’s second spell in charge of Iran, having overseen them between August 2006 and July 2007. Once again, he’s proving incredibly popular, losing just four of his 41 matches since returning and maintaining a 68.29% win rate. Now, he’ll look to guide Iran into the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
Ghalenoei also has a long history of club management in Persia, taking charge of almost 700 matches to date and winning five Iranian league titles.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amir Ghalenoei | Iran (current spell) | 58 | 41 | 11 | 6 | 137 | 56 | 70.69% |
Iran World Cup FAQs
Have Iran ever won the World Cup?
Iran have never won the World Cup, failing to make it past the first round/group stage so far and winning just three of their 18 matches at the competition previously.
Where did Iran finish in the last World Cup?
Iran went out in the group stage at Qatar 2022, but needed just one goal in their final group game against the United States to progress.
Who will be the Iran captain at the World Cup?
Ali Jahanbakhsh is currently Iran’s captain and will wear the armband at the World Cup if fit.
Who is Iran’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?
Mehdi Taremi is Iran’s top goalscorer at the World Cup with two goals, making him the nation’s only player to score more than once at the competition.
Read more:
