Iran have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on six occasions: in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022. They are yet to have progressed from the group stages.
Record at the FIFA World Cup qualification
- As of 18 November 2025
| Rank (unoff.) | Team | Qualifying attempts | Appearances in the finals | Overall qualification record | Points | Confederation | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Successful | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Total | Avg | ||||
| 1 | Mexico | 17 | 14 | 18 | 189 | 121 | 41 | 27 | 453 | 134 | +319 | 404 | 2.138 | CONCACAF |
| 2 | South Korea | 16 | 10 | 11 | 167 | 105 | 44 | 18 | 339 | 98 | +241 | 359 | 2.150 | AFC |
| 3 | Australia | 16 | 6 | 6 | 175 | 104 | 44 | 27 | 442 | 131 | +311 | 356 | 2.034 | AFC |
| 4 | Iran | 12 | 6 | 6 | 162 | 103 | 39 | 20 | 351 | 101 | +250 | 348 | 2.148 | AFC |
| 5 | Costa Rica | 18 | 6 | 6 | 197 | 98 | 51 | 48 | 334 | 191 | +143 | 345 | 1.751 | CONCACAF |
| 6 | Argentina | 15 | 13 | 18 | 171 | 98 | 44 | 29 | 293 | 145 | +148 | 338 | 1.976 | CONMEBOL |
| 7 | Japan | 16 | 6 | 7 | 154 | 96 | 29 | 29 | 359 | 94 | +265 | 317 | 2.058 | AFC |
| 8 | Brazil | 14 | 13 | 22 | 145 | 90 | 37 | 18 | 304 | 92 | +212 | 307 | 2.117 | CONMEBOL |
| 9 | Saudi Arabia | 13 | 6 | 6 | 154 | 89 | 38 | 27 | 288 | 116 | +172 | 305 | 1.980 | AFC |
| 10 | Uruguay | 18 | 11 | 14 | 190 | 84 | 53 | 53 | 262 | 198 | +64 | 305 | 1.605 | CONMEBOL |
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 | |||||||||||||||
| 2034 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2038 | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
Source: FIFA
| Netherlands | 3–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Rensenbrink 40' (pen.), 62', 78' (pen.) | Report |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza
Attendance: 33,431
Referee: Alfonso González Archundia (Mexico)
| Scotland | 1–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Eskandarian 43' (o.g.) | Report | Danaeifard 60' |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba
Attendance: 7,938
Referee: Youssou N'Diaye (Senegal)
| Peru | 4–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Velásquez 2' Cubillas 36' (pen.), 39' (pen.), 79' | Report | Rowshan 41' |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba
Attendance: 21,262
Referee: Alojzy Jarguz (Poland)
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 |
Source: FIFA
| FR Yugoslavia | 1–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Mihajlović 72' | (Report) |
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne
Attendance: 30,600
Referee: Alberto Tejada (Peru)
| United States | 1–2 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| McBride 87' | (Report) | Estili 40' Mahdavikia 84' |
Stade Gerland, Lyon
Attendance: 39,100
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)
| Germany | 2–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Bierhoff 50' Klinsmann 57' | (Report) |
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
Attendance: 29,800
Referee: Epifanio González (Paraguay)
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 |
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
| Mexico | 3–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Bravo 28', 76' Zinha 79' | (Report) | Golmohammadi 36' |
FIFA WM Stadion Nürnberg, Nuremberg
Attendance: 41,000
Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)
| Portugal | 2–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Deco 63' Ronaldo 80' (pen.) | (Report) |
FIFA WM Stadion Frankfurt, Frankfurt
Attendance: 48,000
Referee: Éric Poulat (France)
| Iran | 1–1 | Angola |
|---|---|---|
| Bakhtiarizadeh 75' | (Report) | Flávio 60' |
Zentralstadion, Leipzig
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Mark Shield (Australia)
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 |
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
| Iran | 0–0 | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Arena da Baixada, Curitiba
Attendance: 39,081
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
| Argentina | 1–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Messi 90+1' | Report |
Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte
Attendance: 57,698
Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Džeko 23' Pjanić 59' Vršajević 83' | Report | Ghoochannejhad 82' |
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
Attendance: 48,011
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)
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 |
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
| Morocco | 0–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.) |
Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
Attendance: 62,548
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)
| Iran | 0–1 | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Costa 54' |
Kazan Arena, Kazan
Attendance: 42,718
Referee: Andrés Cunha (Uruguay)
| Iran | 1–1 | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.) | Report | Quaresma 45' |
Mordovia Arena, Saransk
Attendance: 41,685
Referee: Enrique Cáceres (Paraguay)
Qatar 2022
Simultaneous to the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran, the team declined to sing the national anthem prior to their match with England. Prior to the match, captain Ehsan Hajsafi, said that the team support protestors.
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 |
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
| England | 6–2 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 45,334
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
| Wales | 0–2 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Iran | 0–1 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 42,127
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
United States/Mexico/Canada 2026
Group stage
By match
| World Cup | Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Iran scorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Group 4 | Netherlands | 0–3 | L | |
| Scotland | 1–1 | D | Danaeifard 60' | ||
| Peru | 1–4 | L | Rowshan 41' | ||
| 1998 | Group F | FR Yugoslavia | 0–1 | L | |
| United States | 2–1 | W | Estili 40', Mahdavikia 84' | ||
| Germany | 0–2 | L | |||
| 2006 | Group D | Mexico | 1–3 | L | Golmohammadi 36' |
| Portugal | 0–2 | L | |||
| Angola | 1–1 | D | Bakhtiarizadeh 75' | ||
| 2014 | Group F | Nigeria | 0–0 | D | |
| Argentina | 0–1 | L | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–3 | L | Ghoochannejhad 82' | ||
| 2018 | Group B | Morocco | 1–0 | W | Bouhaddouz 90+5' (o.g.) |
| Spain | 0–1 | L | |||
| Portugal | 1–1 | D | Ansarifard 90+3' (pen.) | ||
| 2022 | Group B | England | 2–6 | L | Taremi 65', 90+13' (pen.) |
| Wales | 2–0 | W | Cheshmi 90+8', Rezaeian 90+11' | ||
| United States | 0–1 | L |
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 (Own goals) | 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 |
See also
- Asian nations at the FIFA World Cup
- Iran at the AFC Asian Cup
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