Football
Who is the Greatest Iranian Footballer Ever?
Iran is a football powerhouse in Asia, although its prowess in the global scene is little known, as most of its players ply their trade back home or in neighboring leagues in the region. This is largely due to the hostile geopolitical nature in Tehran that often stretches into sports ideologies, making it difficult for football to truly effectively advance in development.
Ali Daei of IR Iran during the FIFA World Cup Qatar//Getty Images
However, this is not to say that Iran is a football minnow. The country has a rich, deeply rooted football fan base, both in international competitions and domestically. The Persian people love to showcase their passion and intensity, and there is no better platform than during football competitions.
Iran has qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times, and the nation's best performance at the world level was reaching the quarter-finals at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Countless legendary figures have put on the iconic national team colors, with some going down as the country’s greatest. They include: Ali Daei, Ali Karimi, Karim Bagheri, Sardar Azmoun, and Mehdi Taremi, all of whom this analysis will feature.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate Iran’s Greatest Footballers
The SB market index statistically evaluates the international careers, as informed by expert and media perception, thereby giving a comprehensive ranking of Iran’s best-ever players.
Industry Insights
This is an analysis of leading Iranian footballers, who are considered the “greatest of all time,” as featured by the top 10 football and media sources
Industry Insights
| Source Name | Ali Daei | Sardar Azmoun | Mehdi Taremi | Karim Bagheri | Ali Karimi |
| FIFA.com – “Asia’s Greatest Players” feature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| AFC Official Site – “Icons of Iranian Football” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ESPN – “Ranking the Top 10 Iranian Players Ever” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FourFourTwo – “Iran’s All-Time XI” discussion | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Goal.com – “Iran’s GOAT Contenders” feature | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wikipedia – “Iran National Football Team History” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| The Guardian – Profiles on Asian Football Legends | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sportskeeda – “5 Greatest Iranian Players in History” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Reddit r/soccer – “Best Iranian Player” Poll | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| talkSPORT – “World Football’s Record Goalscorers” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
SB Score
| Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio (GPG) | SB Score |
| Ali Daei | 108 | 148 | 0.73 | 1.000 |
| Sardar Azmoun | 57 | 91 | 0.63 | 0.713 |
| Mehdi Taremi | 55 | 94 | 0.59 | 0.684 |
| Karim Bagheri | 50 | 87 | 0.57 | 0.647 |
| Ali Karimi | 38 | 127 | 0.30 | 0.483 |
This score is calculated based on three key international career metrics: Goals Per Game (50% weightage), Total Goals (30% weightage), and Total Caps (20% weightage).
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insight | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Ali Daei | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | Ali Karimi | 0.483 | 9 | 7.297 |
| 3 | Karim Bagheri | 0.647 | 8 | 5.729 |
| 4 | Sardar Azmoun | 0.713 | 6 | 4.943 |
| 5 | Mehdi Taremi | 0.684 | 6 | 4.937 |
Ali Daei: The Undisputed Goal King
Ali Daei is undoubtedly the greatest Iranian footballer of all time, as evidenced by our statistical research. Ali Daei, nicknamed the “Shahriar,” which means the King, registers a perfect score in both the statistical SB Score (most goals, best ratio) with 1.000 and Industry Insights with 10. Daei ranks first with a strong SB Market Index of 8.200.
Ali Daei was a tall penalty box assassin who possessed exceptional ability in the air with a truly elite heading accuracy. Throughout his club career, which spanned Asia and Europe, he scored 161 goals in 362 appearances. However, it’s on the international scene that he left an indelible mark with his record-breaking 109 goals in 148 appearances, making him the world's top international goal-scorer, a record that stood still until September 2021 when Cristiano Ronaldo broke it, and again Lionel Messi in 2024.
Ali Karimi: The Magician of Tehran
Ali Karimi is the second-best Iranian player of all time, as evidenced by this research. Although he tallies the worst statistical SB Score among those ranked with a 0.483, he makes it up with a near-perfect Industry Insight score of nine and a second-best SB Market Index Score of 7.297. This is partly because the SB Score is mainly a goal-focused model.
Ali Karimi often goes by the moniker the “Asian Maradona” due to his boasting exceptional technical and dribbling skills akin to the Argentine legend and supreme playmaking abilities. Karimi was one of the most celebrated Iranian players due to the attacking flair he brought to the field.
The Modern Era: Azmoun and Taremi
Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi are the fourth and fifth greatest Iranian footballers ever, respectively. They are also the only ones on the list who still have active playing careers. They both have the same Industry Insight score of six, and their SB Score and SB Market Index are separated by a very small margin. Azmoun has an SB Score of 0.713, while Taremi has 0.684. On the other hand, Azmoun registers a SB Market Index of 4.943 while Taremi follows close by with 4.937.
Sardar Azmoun, nicknamed “The Iranian Messi,” can do it all in the opponent's final third. He is a clinical finisher with both feet and a significant aerial threat. He also possesses great playmaking vision, passing range, team ethic, and is deceptively quick.
Mehdi Taremi, also known as “Persian Gulf Boy” and “Prince of Persia,” is a versatile forward who is a jack of all trades. He combines clinical finishing, technical ability, great movement, intelligence, and a dead-ball specialty to deadly effect.
Both Azmoun and Taremi are neck-to-neck on the Iranian all-time goal scorers list with 57 and 55 goals, respectively, and have been the face of the modern Iranian national team for the past decade. They normally work in tandem to deadly effect, and who knows, maybe when it's all said and done in their careers, they may crack the top three.
Conclusion on the Lions of Persia
Iran has truly had its unique share of legendary footballers who have not only written their name in the national folklore but also in the regional football tradition. Ali Daei is the greatest player the country has ever produced, and his goal-scoring records are a testament to his legacy. Ali Karimi, on the other hand, is the most skilled and second-best player, as he captivated fans with memories of joy through his exceptional footballing talent and skill, creating timeless highlights.
Karim Bagheri was a legendary midfielder renowned for his powerful goal-scoring ability, with some of his cracking long-range shots a thing of beauty. Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi are modern-day greats who continue to break barriers and put Iranian players on the global map while playing in the world's best leagues, justifying this comprehensive analysis model.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.