The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI; ) is the governing body for football in Iran. It was founded in 1920. The federation has been a member of FIFA since 1948 and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1958.
History The federation was founded in 1920, has been a member of FIFA since 1948, and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1954.
In 2001, Iran was a founding member of the West Asian Football Federation, along with Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.
In 2014, Iran was a founding member of the Central Asian Football Association alongside Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Controversies On 23 November 2006, the federation was suspended by FIFA, due to government interference in football matters. FIFA rules decree that a national football federation should remain autonomous from the national government. However, on 17 December 2006, the ban was lifted and a new Transitory Board was composed.
During the 2009 Iranian election protests, seven members of the Iran national football team were initially reported to have been banned for life by the federation for wearing green armbands in support of the Iranian Green Movement.
Iran women's national football team was briefly suspended by FIFA from international competition in 2011 for being required by the federation to wear headscarves.
In 2015, the federation banned players from the men's national team due to conscription problems.
In August 2017, the federation banned Masoud Shojaei and Ehsan Hajsafi from the national team after they played against the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa League.
On 9 November 2018 Fatma Samoura, Secretary General of International Federation of Football Association FIFA said she would ask the Iranian government to end the ban on women's entry to sports stadiums. On 7 August 2019, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, prosecutor general of Iran, supporting the ban, said that it should not concern FIFA if women in Iran can enter sports stadiums or not. However, after continuous pressure from FIFA, IRNA deputy Sports Minister Jamshid Taghizadeh said women would be allowed to enter Azadi Stadium to watch the men's World Cup 2022 qualifier match between Iran and Cambodia in October. However, in March 2022, Iranian women were again banned from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the Iranian government and federation reportedly sent paid members of the Basij and IRGC to cheer for the team in the stands and to counter protesters.
In April 2024, goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini was summoned, suspended, and fined by the Iranian federation for hugging a female fan. In October 2024, Zahra Ghanbari was suspended and forced to apologize by the Iranian federation for "improper hijab" during a goal celebration at the 2024–25 AFC Women's Champions League. In December 2024, defender Ramin Rezaeian was summoned by the federation as well after hugging a female fan.
2026 Prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, a group stage match scheduled to be played in Seattle was designated as a "Pride Match" by the City of Seattle to coincide with the city's annual Pride celebrations and to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. Following the draw, the fixture was confirmed to be the match between Iran and Egypt. Both Iran and Egypt are countries where homosexuality is criminalized under domestic law, with Iran in particular having imposed capital punishment in certain cases. The Iranian Football Federation and the Egyptian Football Association objected to the match's designation; however, FIFA and local organizers confirmed that associated LGBTQ+ events would proceed, and that rainbow flags would be permitted inside the stadium.
In January 2026, multiple Iranian footballers and athletes were killed during the 2026 Iran massacres amid the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, including former Tractor Sazi F.C. midfielder Mojtaba Tarshiz, prompting former Iran national team captain Masoud Shojaei to criticise FIFA for its silence over the killing of Iranian athletes during protests, while then-captain Mehdi Taremi expressed solidarity with the Iranian people. On 14 January, the federation, along with the Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation, were exempt from posting a picture to their Instagram accounts opposing Donald Trump's threats to attack Iran for its response to the protests, and also claiming that athletes were killed during the Twelve-Day War. After the massacres, the AFC ruled that Iranian clubs cannot host AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two matches at home, and would therefore have to move them to neutral venues. Following the massacres, activists called on FIFA to ban the Iranian national team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ali Karimi, a former footballer for the Iran national team, along with a coalition of prominent Iranians, wrote an open letter to FIFA and all its member associations, calling on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to speak up on the protest deaths. Following the protests and ensuing crackdown, the Spanish Football Federation reportedly pulled out of a planned friendly match with Iran.
After a number of players resigned from the Iran women's national football team and refereeing organization following the massacres, the Iranian football federation reportedly threatened them with multi-year bans from professional football activities, judicial action, and long prison sentences. In March 2026, after the Iran women's national football team players refused to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic as a form of silent protest ahead of their 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup opener against South Korea, concerns grew for their safety following threats from Iranian state media. Ahead of the following match against Australia, the national team players were reportedly forced to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with threats to the players' family members if they did not. After the team's exit from the tournament on 8 March, members of the team gave what appeared to be SOS hand signals from the bus as they were leaving, leading to protests and growing calls for Australia to offer the team refuge after the players were accused of being wartime traitors by Iranian state media for not singing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic in their opening game amid the Iran War.
Amid the Iran War, Sardar Azmoun was reportedly expelled from the national team after posting a picture on social media, per IRGC-affiliated media.
On April 30, 2026, protests were held outside the 2026 FIFA Congress in Vancouver, calling on FIFA to ban the Iranian team and stating that it represents the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instead of the people of Iran. On May 19, it was reported that FIFA would again ban the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag from World Cup stadiums, similar to previous World Cups.
Competitions Men's Persian Gulf Pro League Azadegan League League 2 (Iran) League 3 (Iran) Hazfi Cup Iranian Super Cup
Women's Kowsar Women Football League Hazfi Cup (women) Iranian Supercup (women)
Membership OrganizationAffiliationNotesFIFASince AFCSince WAFF2001–2014; Founding memberCAFASince
Presidents
Presidency President Took office Left office Note 1 Ali Kani 1947 1950 Runners-up of 1951 Asian Games 2 Hedayatollah Gilanshah 1950 1952Commander of Imperial Iranian Air Force (1952) 3 Mohsen Haddad1952 4 Hossein Siasi 1952 1953 (3) Mohsen Haddad 1953 1954 second term (4) Hossein Siasi 1954 second term (1) Ali Kani 1954 1955 second term 5 Mostafa Salimi 1955 1956 6 Hossein-Ali Mobasher 1956 1958 7 Mostafa Mokri 1958 1960 8 Zabih Khabiri 1960 1961 9 Hossein Soroudi 1961 1962 (6) Hossein-Ali Mobasher 1962 1967 second termqualified to 1964 OlympicsRunners-up of 1966 Asian Games (9) Hossein Soroudi 1967 1968 second term (7) Mostafa Mokri 1968 1972 second termwinner of 1968 Asian Cup and 1972 Asian Cupqualified to 1972 Olympics 10 Kambiz Atabay 1972 1979 Presidents of AFC(1 August 1976 - 9 December 1978)qualified to 1978 World Cupqualified to 1976 Olympicswinner of 1976 Asian CupFounder of Takht Jamshid Cupwinner of 1974 Asian Games 11 Naser Noamooz 1979 1980 first president after Revolution qualified to 1980 Olympics but boycotted the eventThird place of 1980 Asian Cup 12 Hadi Tavoosi 1980 1981 13 Hossein Abshenasan1981 14 Hossein Raghfar 1981 1982 youngest president of FFIRI ever at 28 years old (13) Hossein Abshenasan 1982 1983 second term 15 Behrooz Sahabeh1984 16 Nasrollah Sajjadi 1985 17 Ali Mohammad Mortazavi 1986 1987 18 Mohammad Reza Pahlavan 1987 1989 Third place of 1988 Asian Cup (11) Naser Noamooz 1989 1993 second termwinner of 1990 Asian GamesFounder of Azadegan League 19 Mohammad Safizadeh 1993 1994 20 Amir Abedini1994 chairman of Persepolis(1993—2001) 21 Dariush Mostafavi 1994 1997 Third place of 1996 Asian Cup 22 Mohsen Safaei Farahani 1997 2002 qualified to 1998 World Cupwinner of 1998 Asian Games and 2002 Asian GamesFounder of Iran Pro Leaguewinner of 1998 FIFA Fair Play Award member of Iranian Parliament (2000-2004) 23 Mohammad Dadkan 2002 2006 Third place of 2004 Asian Cupqualified to 2006 World CupThird place of 2006 Asian Games (22) Mohsen Safaei Farahani 2006 2008 second terminterim, appointed by FIFA 24 Ali Kafashian 2008 2016 qualified to 2014 World Cup2008 and 2012 Best Asian Football Federation of the Year 25 Mehdi Taj 2016 2019 qualified to 2018 World Cup — Heydar Baharvand (acting) 2019 2021 26 Shahaboddin Azizi Khadem 2021 2022 qualified to 2022 World Cup Dismissal due to incompetence — Mirshad Majedi (acting) 2022 (25) Mehdi Taj 2022 Present second and third term
# President Stability 1 Ali Kafashian 8 years and 4 months 2 Mehdi Taj 7 years and 8 months 3 Kambiz Atabay 6 years and 4 months 4 Mohsen Safaei Farahani 4 years and 9 months 5 Mostafa Mokri 4 years and 6 months 6 Hossein-Ali Mobasher 4 years 7 Naser Noamooz 3 years and 10 months 8 Mohammad Dadkan 3 years and 9 months 9 Ali Kani 3 years and 7 months
Board members
PositionNamePresidentMehdi TajGeneral SecretaryHamed Momeni (acting)First Vice PresidentMahdi MohammadnabiSecond Vice President Heydar BaharvandThird Vice President and Women SectionFarideh Shojaei Representative of Provincial Football BoardsTahmoures Heydari Representative of Provincial Football BoardsAli Taheri Representative of Club chairpersonsAli Khatir Representative of Club chairpersonsMohammad Esfandiarpour Board MemberFarzin Dabiri Oskuei Board MemberHojjat Karimi Board MemberMohammad-Rahman Salari
National teams Iran national football team Head coach: Amir Ghalenoei Iran national under-23 football team Head coach: Hossein Abdi Iran national under-20 football team Head coach: Ghasem Haddadifar Iran national under-17 football team Head coach: Armaghan Ahmadi Iran national under-15 football team Head coach: Ali Doustimehr Iran national futsal team Head coach: Vahid Shamsaei Iran national under-20 futsal team Head coach: Ali Sanei Iran national beach soccer team Head coach: Ali Naderi Iran women's national football team Head coach: Marziyeh Jafari Iran women's national under-23 football team Head coach: TBD Iran women's national under-20 football team Head coach: TBD Iran women's national under-17 football team Head coach: Shadi Mahini Iran women's national futsal team Head coach: Shahrzad Mozaffar
References
External links FIFA website