With a couple of marquee players of Team Melli changing clubs at the start of 2021/22 season, it seems like a good idea to check who is who and where are the Iranian footballer playing abroad make their living.
This season’s most prominent transfer was of Alireza Jahanbakhsh who was recruited by Feyenoord Rotterdam and mark his return to the Eredivisie. The other Alireza, Beiranvand moved from Belgium to Portugal where he joined Boavista in the first division to add to the remarkable number of Iranian players in Portugal.
One of the most surprising moves was that of Payam Niazmand, who left Esfahan to join Portimonense in Portugal who already have Ali Alipour in their squad.
The list includes some interesting names too like Bakhtiyar Rahmani who is now playing in Sweden for FF Dalkurd a club in the second division of Sweden SuperEttan. Also included is Steven Beitashour who plays for Colorado Rapids in MSL. The Iranian American who was picked by Carlos Queiroz before World Cup 2014 appeared briefly for Team Melli. An honorary mention must also go to Mehrdadi Pooladi who is still playing football in the Second Division of Qatar Star League. Pooladi never returned to Iran after the AFC Asian Cup 2015 over a dispute of his military service.
This is by far the most complete list of Iranian players playing abroad. If you have any updates or names that we have omitted, please do send your suggestions to the Chief Editor for inclusion.
The list indicates that 20 players who are on the current selection lists of Team Melli are playing abroad. On the other hand, 11 players who have been former Team Melli players are playing abroad now.
Iranian Legionnaires
| # | Player | League | Club | Country | Team Melli Current | Team Melli Former |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England |  | |||||
| Saman Ghoddos | Premier League | Brentford | England | YES | ||
| Ravi Shamsi | Non League Premier | Nuneaton Borough | England | |||
| Pouriya Ahmadi | Non League Division One | Glossop North End | England | |||
| Spain |  | |||||
| Amir Abedzadeh | Segunda División | Ponferradina | Spain | YES | ||
| Germany |  | |||||
| Daniel Davari | Regionalliga | Rot-Weiss Essen | Germany | YES | ||
| Fereydoon Zandi | Regionalliga | St. Pauli II | Germany | YES | ||
| Ahmad Jafari | Regionalliga | Homberg | Germany | |||
| Aram Abdelkarim | Regionalliga | Straelen | Germany | |||
| Ebrahim Farahnak | Regionalliga | HSC Hannover | Germany | |||
| Ali Sandoghdar | Oberliga | VfL Oldenburg | Germany | |||
| Maziar Namavizadeh | Oberliga | Röchling Völklingen | Germany | |||
| Iman Saghi beRia | Oberliga | Hastedt | Germany | |||
| Netherlands |  | |||||
| Alireza Jahanbakhsh | Eredivisie | Feyenoord | Netherlands | YES | ||
| Nabi Hakimzadeh | Hoofdklasse | HBS | Netherlands | |||
| Aria Hashemi | Eerste Klasse | Best Vooruit | Netherlands | |||
| Australia |  | |||||
| Behzad Ariayee | Queensland NPL | Moreton Bay United | Australia | |||
| Azerbaijan |  | |||||
| Mehdi Sharifi | Premyer Liqa | Sumqay?t | Azerbaijan | YES | ||
| Bangladesh |  | |||||
| Khaled Shafiei | Premier League | Bashundhara Kings | Bangladesh | |||
| Belgium |  | |||||
| Milad Mohammadi | First Division A | Gent | Belgium | YES | ||
| Ali Gholizadeh | First Division A | Sporting Charleroi | Belgium | YES | ||
| Kaveh Rezaei | First Division A | Club Brugge | Belgium | YES | ||
| China PR |  | |||||
| Morteza Pouraliganji | CSL | Shenzhen | China | YES | ||
| Croatia |  | |||||
| Sadegh Moharrami | 1. HNL | Dinamo Zagreb | Croatia | YES | ||
| Younes Delfi | 1. HNL | HNK Gorica | Croatia | YES | ||
| Mohsen Behzadpour | 3. HNL | Lu?ko | Croatia | |||
| Denmark |  | |||||
| Saeid Ezatolahi | Superliga | Vejle | Denmark | YES | ||
| Georgia |  | |||||
| Mohammad Barzegarasl | Liga 3 | Didube 2014 | Georgia | |||
| Greece |  | |||||
| Ehsan Hajsafy | Super League 1 | AEK Athens | Greece | YES | ||
| Karim Ansarifard | Super League 1 | AEK Athens | Greece | YES | ||
| Mohammadreza Azadi | Super League 1 | Panaitolikos | Greece | |||
| India |  | |||||
| Iman Basafa | Indian Super League | Bengaluru FC | India | |||
| Iraq |  | |||||
| Milad Zanda | Iraqi League | Erbil | Iraq | |||
| Mohammed Mhamdian | Iraqi League | Naft | Iraq | |||
| Mehdi Daghagheleh | Iraqi League | Naft Maysan | Iraq | |||
| Kuwait |  | |||||
| Ali PourDara | Premier League | Kuwait SC | Kuwait | |||
| Norway |  | |||||
| Sousha Makani | Eliteserien | Mjøndalen | Norway | |||
| Philippines |  | |||||
| Omid Nazari | PFL | United City | Philippines | YES | ||
| Portugal |  | |||||
| Alireza Beiranvand | Primeira Liga | Boavista | Portugal | YES | ||
| Jafar Salmani | Primeira Liga | Portimonense | Portugal | YES | ||
| Payam Niazmand | Primeira Liga | Portimonense | Portugal | YES | ||
| Mehdi Taremi | Primeira Liga | Porto | Portugal | YES | ||
| Ali Alipour | Primeira Liga | Marítimo | Portugal | YES | ||
| Taha Zareei | Campeonato (4th division) | Vianense | Portugal | |||
| Qatar |  | |||||
| Ramin Rezaeian | Qatar Stars League | Al Duhail | Qatar | YES | ||
| Mehrdad Mohammadi | Qatar Stars League | Al Arabi | Qatar | YES | ||
| Pejman Montazeri | Qatar Stars League | Al Kharitiyath | Qatar | YES | ||
| Ali Karimi | Qatar Stars League | Qatar SC | Qatar | YES | ||
| Shojaa Khalilzadeh | Qatar Stars League | Al Rayyan | Qatar | YES | ||
| Mehrdad Pooladi | Second Division | Muaither | Qatar | YES | ||
| Alan Hossein Karimi | Second Division | Lusail City | Qatar | |||
| Russia |  | |||||
| Sardar Azmoun | Premier League | Zenit | Russia | YES | ||
| Scotland |  | |||||
| Pedram Ardalany | Football League | Cumbernauld Colts | Scotland | |||
| Slovakia |  | |||||
| Iman Salimi | Super Liga | Sere? | Slovakia | |||
| Sweden |  | |||||
| Bakhtiyar Rahmani | Ettan | Dalkurd | Sweden | YES | ||
| Switzerland |  | |||||
| Shaho Maroufi | 1. Liga Promotion | Stade Nyonnais | Switzerland | |||
| Thailand |  | |||||
| Hamed Bakhtiari | Thai League 1 | Suphanburi | Thailand | |||
| Vafa Hakhamaneshi | Thai League 1 | Ratchaburi | Thailand | |||
| Mahan Rahmani Noubari | Thai League 2 | Nong Bua Pitchaya | Thailand | |||
| Turkey |  | |||||
| Mohammad Naderi | Süper Lig | Altay Spor Kulübü | Turkey | |||
| Majid Hosseini | Süper Lig | Kayserispor | Turkey | YES | ||
| Ebrahim Aabednezhad | Bölgesel Amator lig | Serinhisarspor | Turkey | |||
| Davoud Ezat?tagh | Bölgesel Amator lig | Biga Adaspor | Turkey | |||
| Ukraine |  | |||||
| Allahyar Sayadmanesh | Premier League | Zorya | Ukraine | YES | ||
| Shahab Zahedi | Premier League | Zorya | Ukraine | |||
| Siavash Haghnazari | Persha Liga | Volyn | Ukraine | |||
| UAE |  | |||||
| Ahmad Noorollahi | ADNOC Leauge | Shabab Al-Ahli | UAE | YES | ||
| Mehdi Ghaedi | ADNOC Leauge | Shabab Al-Ahli | UAE | YES | ||
| USA |  | |||||
| Steven Beitashour | MLS | Colorado Rapids | USA | YES | ||
| Arshia Aghababazadeh | USL Championship | Austin Bold | USA | |||
| Ramak Nikan Safi | NPSL | Jacksonville Armada II | USA |