IR Iran: Five players to watch

As IR Iran prepare to participate in their third consecutive FIFA World Cup campaign under the same manager, the nation’s finest generation aspires to make it past the group stage at the sixth time of asking.

To date, Team Melli fans remember with agony Mehdi Taremi’s squandered chance. The ball on his left foot, eight yards out and only Rui Patricio to beat, the would-be Porto goal machine failed to hit the target for what would have been the goal to send Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal crashing and Iran miraculously into the next round out of a group that also included Morocco and 2010 world champions Spain.

Four years on, Taremi and co are eager to continue their growth under Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, having picked up one point in 2014 and four in 2018, any increase on that tally is likely to see them reach the round of 16 for the first time. The likes of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, Vahid Amiri, Ehsan Hajsafi and Karim Ansarifard are back in favour following the reappointment of Carlos Queiroz in September

Here are five players worth keeping an eye on as Team Melli look to create history in Qatar 2022.

Alireze Beiranvand

Position: Goalkeeper

Age: 30

Four years ago, Alireza Beiranvand became one of the household names of Russia 2018 when he saved a penalty kick from Portugal ace Cristiano Ronaldo, the highlight of three heroic matches in which Team Melli conceded just two goals in arguably the most difficult group of the tournament.

It has since been quite a ride for the 1.96m tall shot stopper who earned a move from domestic powerhouse Persepolis to Belgium where spent a season at Royal Antwerp before being loaned out to Portuguese side Boavista. His European journey, however, didn’t last long and by the start of 2022, he was back on the books of Persepolis.

It was equally bumpy on the international front, with Beiranvand falling out of favour upon the arrival of Dragan Skočić who preferred Amir Abedzadeh as his number one throughout the qualifiers, but with the return of Queiroz, Beiranvand is set to find himself as Iran’s man between the sticks at the World Cup once more.

With the right physique to take on aerial challenges and a knack for saving penalties as well as agile reflexes in one-on-one situations, Beiranvand is a reliable asset at the back for Team Melli, but in a stage where they will have to sit deep and counter against the likes of England, Wales and the USA, the 30-year-old’s famed ability to throw a long ball will come in handy in launching swift counter-attacks.

Ehsan Hajsafi

Position: Left-back/defensive midfielder

Age: 32

Another one of those back from the relative cold under Queiroz, Iran captain Ehsan Hajsafi is set to be one of a few players who could make their third consecutive World Cup appearance, having made his World Cup debut against Nigeria in 2014.

A left-back by trade, the AEK Athens man is one of Queiroz’s most trusted soldiers, owing to his experience and flexibility which allows him to slot in at both the defensive and attacking parts of midfield as well as left wing if needed, feats that have contributed to Hajsafi racking over 120 caps for Team Melli.

Already one of the most accomplished players in the side, Hajsafi could become the single player with most World Cup matches played for Iran, a record he currently shares with teammate Alireza Jahanbakhsh and retired paid Mehdi Mahdavikia and Andranik Teymourian who have each played six World Cup games in Team Melli colours.

Karim Ansarifard

Position: Attacking midfielder

Age: 32

At the age of 32, Ansarifard’s prime years might be beyond him and he might not be an automatic starter for Iran in Qatar 2022, but the experienced attacker remains as essential for the team both on and off the pitch and he has shown with his recent goal for Cypriot club Omonoia FC against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League that he is a man for the big occasions.

A seasoned journeyman, Ansarifard has played his football in Spain, Greece, Qatar, Cyprus as well as England where he had a short spell at Nottingham Forest in 2018-19.

With the trio of Azmoun, Taremi and Jahanbakhsh almost guaranteed to start whenever fit, Ansarifard could either arrive as an impact substitute or play in midfield in games where Iran look to employ a more proactive approach in attack. With Allahyar Sayyadmanesh injured and Azmoun in a race against time to be fit, the role of Iran’s most recent FIFA World Cup goal scorer will be all the more important in Qatar 2022.

Mehdi Taremi

Position: Winger

Age: 30

Very few players have experienced the rapid rise to stardom that Mehdi Taremi underwent in recent years. In 2014, the versatile forward was plying his trade in the second tier of Iranian football, and nowhere near the national team. Fast forward to 2022; Taremi is a household name in European football, with a FIFA Puskás Award nomination and the top scorer award in the Portuguese Primeira Liga to his name.

On the international front, Taremi formed a devastating trio alongside Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, with the three of them combining for over 170 international goals between them. Taremi is headed to his second FIFA World Cup as seventh amongst Iran’s all-time top scorers with 27 goals in 58 caps.

Sardar Azmoun

Position: Striker

Age: 27

The Yin to Taremi’s Yang, Sardar Azmoun has spearheaded Iran’s attack for the past seven years with great success. While Taremi drifts wide and hovers around the box, Azmoun uses his combination of poacher’s instinct and imposing physique to convert chances.

Having never played his senior club football at home, Azmoun started his senior career at Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan, opting for a move abroad at the expense of offers from Iran giants Esteghlal and Persepolis. In nearly a decade in Russian football, Azmoun established himself as one of the most recognised goalscorers in European football, becoming the all-time highest Iranian top scorer in the UEFA Champions League.

In January, it was time for a new adventure as the 27-year-old moved to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

After missing out on a place in the Iran squad for Brazil 2014, Azmoun enhanced his reputation at the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, where he scored a wonder goal against Qatar in the group stage then opened the scoring in their quarter-finals 3-3 draw against Iraq; a game they eventually lost on penalty shootouts.

Four years later in UAE, Azmoun finished second to Qatar’s Almoez Ali in the competition’s scoring charts, bagging four goals. He is currently the nation’s third all-time top scorer with 40 international goals. Only the legendary Ali Daei has a better strike rate than Azmoun’s 0.63 goals per game for Team Melli.