Iran may not be the most popular sports destination among the townsfolk. Often people think of countries like Spain, Italy and England when it comes to football. However, in Iran, people love football very much, love is instilled in literally every person from the first years. Suffice it to recall the last World Cup, where the Iranian national team defeated the Welsh team in a dramatic duel after a crushing defeat by the Three Lions. Among the representatives of Iran there are very outstanding players who glorify their country and play football at a high international level. Do you want to get to know them better? Here are some cool players!
Mehdi Taremi
The career of the 30-year-old Porto star is filled with serious trials, through which the player went with his head held high. Back in 2019, Mehdi played in the Qatar Championship, where he attracted attention in Portugal as part of Al-Gharafa. One breakthrough season at Rio Ave and Porto came for Taremi. As part of the “dragons”, the leader of the Iranian national team revealed himself, scoring an average of one goal in two games. At the World Cup in 2022, Mehdi scored two goals, and also recorded an assist – the same statistics at the tournament for Lewandowski and Neymar, whose national teams, unlike Iran, made the playoffs. Now Taremi is at the peak of his career – top clubs from Italy and England are looking at him, but even at Porto he has the opportunity to shine on the entire football planet. Even in the current season of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, he is close to the status of the top scorer (16 +6). Iranian football can be proud of such talents, which are nurtured by the national league of the country.
For those who dream of seeing a football star live, we advise you to combine business with pleasure and go on a trip to Portugal! Combining trips with attending sports events is a common phenomenon. If you are planning such a trip, do not forget to think about tickets in advance, because sporting events are always a rush. And also don't forget to think about a comfortable means of transportation to get the most out of the trip. For example, prepare your car for a trip or choose a car for rent to get everywhere you need. Car rental services represent a wide range of car models literally in all parts of the world. You can easily order a roomy car in Tehran, rent Bentley Dubai or Audi in London. Reliable luxury car rental is really always a good idea in travel! Your choice is your comfortable journey!
Ali Daei
A legend of Iranian football, whose legacy continues to live to this day. Daei finished his career in 2007 and since then the stars of world football have been trying to get to his records. It was only two years ago that Cristiano Ronaldo succeeded, who beat Ali in the number of goals for the national team – such an opponent only adds greatness to Daei's persona. In addition to excellent performances on the national stage, Ali showed himself great in the Bundesliga in the ranks of Arminia, Bayern and Hertha. With Munich, Daei became the German champion and reached the Champions League final in 1999, in which the German club lost to Manchester United. So far, Ali has not coached teams abroad, and in Iran with Persepolis and Saipa he became the winner of the National Cup and the champion of Iran – the great striker is good in the coaching position.
Javad Nekounam
The record holder of the Iranian national team in the number of matches played for it (151). In addition to participating in two World championships, Nekunam won the Challenge Cup with the national squad, the Asian Games, and also took bronze at the Asian Cup. After two successful seasons in the UAE, Javad was noticed in the European top leagues, after the World Cup in Germany he signed with Osasuna, becoming the first Iranian in the Spanish Primera. In the club from Pamplona, Nekunam became a leading player and earned the respect of the fans, having played about 200 matches in the team. After the 2015/16 season at Saip, Javad spent another year at Al-Arabi from Qatar, where he ended his career. Now he is focused on coaching at Fulada.