Mehdi Taremi, the prolific striker for both Iran’s national team, Team Melli, and Olympiacos, reached a historic milestone on Friday, March 27, by scoring his 58th international goal against Nigeria. With that strike, he became the second-highest goalscorer in Iranian history, trailing only the legendary Ali Daei, who remains firmly atop the all-time list.
Taremi’s journey to this achievement has been marked by a distinguished club career spanning several countries. Beginning in his hometown of Bushehr, he went on to represent clubs such as Al-Gharafa in Qatar, Rio Ave, Porto, Inter Milan, and now Olympiacos.
| # | Name | Start | Subst. | Caps | Goals | Yellows | Reds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAEI, Ali #10 | 145 | 6 | 151 | 110 | 9 | 2 |
| 2 | TAREMI, Mehdi #9 | 88 | 15 | 103 | 58 | 12 | 1 |
| 3 | AZMOUN, Sardar | 77 | 14 | 91 | 57 | 11 | 0 |
| 4 | BAGHERI, Karim | 84 | 3 | 87 | 50 | 11 | 1 |
| 5 | NEKOUNAM, Javad #6 | 144 | 13 | 157 | 41 | 25 | 1 |
| 6 | KARIMI, Mohammad Ali #8 | 120 | 10 | 130 | 38 | 15 | 0 |
| 7 | ANSARIFARD, Karim | 49 | 55 | 104 | 29 | 12 | 0 |
| 8 | MAZLOOMI, Gholamhossein | 30 | 12 | 42 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | PEYOUS, Farshad | 30 | 4 | 34 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza #7 | 67 | 31 | 98 | 17 | 13 | 0 |
While his international exploits continue to make headlines, Taremi’s impact in European competitions has been unparalleled among Iranian players. He holds the record for the most appearances and goals by an Iranian in Europe. All eight of his UEFA Champions League goals came during his highly successful stint with Porto—a period widely regarded as the peak of his career. Among them was a spectacular scissor-kick volley against Chelsea, which earned a nomination for the FIFA Puskás Award.
By comparison, Ali Daei scored three goals in the Champions League, including a memorable brace against Chelsea during the 1999–2000 season. With eight goals to his name, Mehdi Taremi remains the highest-scoring Iranian player in Champions League history.
Iranian Players in the UEFA Champions League — Ranking
| Rank | Player | UCL Goals | UCL Matches | Clubs Played For in UCL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mehdi Taremi | 8 | 27 | FC Porto | All goals scored for Porto between 2020–2024. |
| 2 | Ali Daei | 3 | 6 | Hertha BSC | Scored 2 vs Chelsea + 1 vs Milan (1999–2000). |
| 3 | Sardar Azmoun | 2 | 21 | Rubin Kazan, Rostov, Zenit, Leverkusen | Goals vs Bayern (2015) & Atlético (2016). |
| 4 | Karim Ansarifard | 1 | 6 | Olympiacos | Scored vs Sporting CP (2017). |
| 5 | Mehdi Mahdavikia | 1 | 7 | Hamburg | Scored vs Juventus (2000). |