The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI; Persian: فدراسیون فوتبال جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Federâsion-è Futbâl-è Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Irân) is the governing body for football in Iran. It was founded in 1920.[1] The federation has been a member of FIFA since 1948 and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1958.
In 2001, Iran were founding members of the West Asian Football Federation, along with Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.
On 23 November 2006, the federation was suspended by FIFA,[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] [5]
In 2014, Iran joined the Central Asian Football Association.
In 2015, the federation banned players from the men's national team due to conscription problems.[6] [7]
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.[8]
On 9 November 2018 Fatma Samoura, Secretary General of International Federation of Football Association FIFA said she would ask Iranian government to end ban on women's entry to sport stadiums.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11]
| Organization | Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FIFA | since | |
| AFC | since | |
| WAFF | 2001–2014; | Founding member |
| CAFA | since |
| Presidency [12] | President | Took office | Left office | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr.Ali Kani | 1947 | 1950 | Runners-up of 1951 Asian Games |
| 2 | Hedayatollah Gilanshah | 1950 | 1952 | Commander of Imperial Iranian Air Force (1952) |
| 3 | Mohsen Haddad | 1952 | ||
| 4 | Hossein Siasi | 1952 | 1953 | |
| (3) | Mohsen Haddad | 1953 | 1954 | second term |
| (4) | Hossein Siasi | 1954 | second term | |
| (1) | Dr.Ali Kani | 1954 | 1955 | second term |
| 5 | Mostafa Salimi | 1955 | 1956 | |
| 6 | 1956 | 1958 | ||
| 7 | Mostafa Makri | 1958 | 1960 | |
| 8 | Zabih Khabiri | 1960 | 1961 | |
| 9 | Hossein Soroudi | 1961 | 1962 | |
| (6) | 1962 | 1967 | second term qualified to 1964 Olympics Runners-up of 1966 Asian Games | |
| (9) | Hossein Soroudi | 1967 | 1968 | second term |
| (7) | Mostafa Makri | 1968 | 1972 | second term winner of 1968 Asian Cup and 1972 Asian Cup qualified to 1972 Olympics |
| 10 | Kambiz Atabay | 1972 | 1979 | Presidents of AFC (1 August 1976 - 9 December 1978) qualified to 1978 World Cup qualified to 1976 Olympics winner of 1976 Asian Cup Founder of Takht Jamshid Cup winner of 1974 Asian Games |
| 11 | Naser Noamooz | 1979 | 1980 | first president after Revolution qualified to 1980 Olympics but boycotted the event Third place of 1980 Asian Cup |
| 12 | Hadi Tavoosi | 1980 | 1981 | |
| 13 | Hossein Abshenasan | 1981 | ||
| 14 | Hossein Raghfar | 1981 | 1982 | youngest president of FFIRI ever with 28 years old[13] |
| (13) | Hossein Abshenasan | 1982 | 1983 | second term |
| 15 | Behrooz Sahabeh | 1984 | ||
| 16 | 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 term winner of 1990 Asian Games Founder of Azadegan League |
| 19 | 1993 | 1994 | ||
| 20 | Amir Abedini | 1994 | chairman of Persepolis (1993—2001) | |
| 21 | 1994 | 1997 | Third place of 1996 Asian Cup | |
| 22 | Mohsen Safaei Farahani | 1997 | 2002 | qualified to 1998 World Cup winner of 1998 Asian Games and 2002 Asian Games Founder of Iran Pro League winner of 1998 FIFA Fair Play Award member of Iranian Parliament (2000-2004) |
| 23 | Mohammad Dadkan | 2002 | 2006 | Third place of 2004 Asian Cup qualified to 2006 World Cup Third place of 2006 Asian Games |
| (22) | Mohsen Safaei Farahani | 2006 | 2008 | second term interim, appointed by FIFA |
| 24 | 2008 | 2016[14] | qualified to 2014 World Cup 2008 and 2012 Best Asian Football Federation of the Year [15] | |
| 25 | 2016[16] | 2019[17] | qualified to 2018 World Cup | |
| — | Heydar Baharvand (acting) | 2019 | 2021 | |
| 26 | 2021 | 2022 | qualified to 2022 World Cup Dismissal due to incompetence | |
| — | Mirshad Majedi (acting) | 2022 | ||
| (25) | 2022 | Present | second term | |
| President | Stability[18] | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 years and 4 months | |
| 2 | Kambiz Atabay | 7 years and 6 months |
| 3 | Mohsen Safaei Farahani | 4 years and 9 months |
| 4 | Mostafa Makri | 4 years and 6 months |
| 5 | 4 years | |
| 6 | Naser Noamooz | 3 years and 10 months |
| 7 | Mohammad Dadkan | 3 years and 9 months |
| 8 | Dr.Ali Kani | 3 years and 7 months |
| Mehdi Taj | 3 years and 7 months |
|
Head coach: Amir Ghalenoei
Head coach: Reza Enayati
Head coach: Samad Marfavi
Head coach: Hossein Abdi
Head coach: Ali Doustimehr
Head coach: Vahid Shamsaei
Head coach: Ali Sanei
Head coach: Ali Naderi
Head coach: Maryam Azmoon
Head coach: TBD
Head coach: TBD
Head coach: Shadi Mahini
Head coach: TBD