Iran–Saudi Arabia football rivalry

Last updated
Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry
(Asian El Clasico)
Location Asia (AFC)
West Asia (WAFF)
Central Asia (CAFA)
TeamsFlag of Iran.svg  Iran
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
First meeting24 August 1975
(49 years ago)
Iran 3–0 Saudi Arabia
Olympics qualification
Latest meeting9 December 2012
Saudi Arabia 0–0 Iran
WAFF Championship
Statistics
Meetings total14
Most winsIran (5)
Top scorer Flag of Iran.svg Ali Daei (4)
All-time recordIran: 5
Draw: 5
Saudi Arabia: 4
Largest victoryIran 3–0 Saudi Arabia
Olympics qualification
(24 August 1975)
Saudi Arabia 0–3 Iran
World Cup qualification
(7 January 1977)

The Iran and Saudi Arabia national football teams are sporting rivals [1] who have played each other since 1975.

Contents

The game has been ranked 9th in Bleacher Report's "International Football's 10 Most Politically-Charged Football Rivalries" [2] and 8th in Goal.com's "Football's 10 Greatest International Rivalries". [3]

Iran and Saudi Arabia team have had 15 matches so far, all have been competitive, and they have never played a friendly match. The first match was played on 24 August 1975, with Iran defeating Saudi Arabia 3–0.

Origins

The two have long battled for West Asian supremacy [3] and their matches have been "always tight, tense and furiously competitive". [1]

The countries also have had chronic political tensions in the last decades. [4] (see Iran–Saudi Arabia relations)

The rivalry has been expanded into club matches as well. For example, after the Saudi Arabian national team's away win in March 2009, Saudi players sword-danced in front of 100,000 angry Iranian fans in Azadi Stadium. When Zob Ahan eliminated Al-Hilal in the 2010 AFC Champions League semi-final, Iranian players mocked the dance in front of Saudi fans. [5] When Persepolis was scheduled to play away at Ittihad in the 2011 AFC Champions League, Saudi immigration authorities forced Iranian players to be fingerprinted and irises scanned upon their arrival at Jeddah airport. The Iranians refused to do so and were held at the airport for 8 hours. [4]

Iranian football fans take most pleasure in defeating Saudi Arabia, alongside Bahrain, [6] whose players used to wave Saudi Arabian flags when they defeated Iran 3–1 during their 2002 World Cup qualification. [7] For several Iranian fans, regional political rivalries also affect who they support on the field, according to Aljazeera. [8]

In 2016, clubs from Saudi Arabia refused to play in Iran during the 2016 AFC Champions League and vice versa. [9] [10] [11] Consequently, the matches between the two countries were played in neutral venues for the next 7 years. [12]

Following the improvement of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on 4 September 2023 that matches between the national and club sides of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) will take place on a home-and-away basis. [13] [14] [15]

Matches

Source: [16] [17]
#DateCompetitionHome teamScoreAway teamGoals (home)Goals (away)Venue
[lower-alpha 1] 24 August 1975 1976 Olympics qualification Iran  State Flag of Iran (1964).svg
3–0
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Mazloomi Soccerball shade.svg12', 83'; Khorshidi Soccerball shade.svg63' State Flag of Iran (1964).svg Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran
17 January 1977 1978 World Cup qualification Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
0–3
State Flag of Iran (1964).svg  Iran Mazloomi Soccerball shade.svg16', 78'; Roshan Soccerball shade.svg62' Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
2 [lower-alpha 2] 22 April 1977 Iran  State Flag of Iran (1964).svg
2–0
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Yousefi Soccerball shade.svg10'; Sharifi Soccerball shade.svg84' State Flag of Iran (1964).svg Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz
313 December 1984 1984 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
1–1
(a.e.t.) [lower-alpha 3]
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Shahin Bayani Soccerball shade.svg88' (o.g.) Shahrokh Bayani Soccerball shade.svg43' Flag of Singapore.svg National Stadium, Singapore
415 December 1988 1988 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
1–0
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Abdullah Soccerball shade.svg16' Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar SC Stadium, Doha
528 October 1993 1994 World Cup qualification Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
4–3
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Al-Jaber Soccerball shade.svg21'; Mehalel Soccerball shade.svg27'; Al-Mousa; Soccerball shade.svg47'; Falatah Soccerball shade.svg74' Fonounizadeh Soccerball shade.svg43', 52'; Manafi Soccerball shade.svg90' Flag of Qatar.svg Khalifa Stadium, Doha
611 December 1996 1996 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
0–3
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Daei Soccerball shade.svg12'; Bagheri Soccerball shade.svg37'; Azizi Soccerball shade.svg47' Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
718 December 1996 Iran  Flag of Iran.svg
0–0
(a.e.t.) [lower-alpha 4]
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
819 September 1997 1998 World Cup qualification Iran  Flag of Iran.svg
1–1
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Bagheri Soccerball shade.svg64' Al-Shahrani Soccerball shade.svg32' Flag of Iran.svg Azadi Stadium, Tehran
924 October 1997 Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
1–0
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Al-Muwalid Soccerball shade.svg88' Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
1024 August 2001 2002 World Cup qualification Iran  Flag of Iran.svg
2–0
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Daei Soccerball shade.svg54' (p), 64' Flag of Iran.svg Azadi Stadium, Tehran
1128 September 2001 Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
2–2
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Al-Waked Soccerball shade.svg20'; Al-Yami Soccerball shade.svg59' Daei Soccerball shade.svg42'; Dinmohammadi Soccerball shade.svg84' Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah
126 September 2008 2010 World Cup qualification Saudi Arabia  Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg
1–1
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Harthi Soccerball shade.svg29' Nekounam Soccerball shade.svg81' Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
1328 March 2009 Iran  Flag of Iran.svg
1–2
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Shojaei Soccerball shade.svg64' Hazazi Soccerball shade.svg79'; Al-Muwallad Soccerball shade.svg87' Flag of Iran.svg Azadi Stadium, Tehran
1412 December 2012 2012 WAFF Championship [lower-alpha 5] Iran  Flag of Iran.svg
0–0
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia Flag of Kuwait.svg Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
  1. Not a full FIFA international
  2. Iran played the match with reserve players.
  3. Saudi Arabia won 5–4 on penalties.
  4. Saudi Arabia won 4–3 on penalties.
  5. Both teams competed in the tournament with reserve players.

Statistics

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Best win
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran 145541913+63–0
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 144551319-64–3
Matches held in Iran4
Matches held in neutral venue8
Matches held in Saudi Arabia4
Total matches16

Top scorers

RankPlayerGoals
1 Flag of Iran.svg Ali Daei 4
2 Flag of Iran.svg Mehdi Fonounizadeh 2
Flag of Iran.svg Karim Bagheri 2
State Flag of Iran (1964).svg Gholamhossein Mazloomi 2
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Majed Abdullah 2
3Various players1

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Saudi Arabia VS Iran: Launch pad for Saudi reign". FIFA.com . October 28, 1993. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  2. Peters, Jerrad (October 15, 2014). "International Football's 10 Most Politically-Charged Football Rivalries". Bleacher Report . Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Staunton, Peter (November 17, 2010). "Football's 10 Greatest International Rivalries; Argentina - Brazil, Portugal - Spain, Algeria - Egypt, Japan - South Korea And More". Goal.com. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Dorsey, James M. "Iranian bid for FIFA tournament takes tension with the Gulf to the soccer pitch". Al Arabiya . Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  5. صعود مقتدرانه ذوب‌آهن به فينال ليگ قهرمانان آسيا پاسخی به رقص شمشير سعودی‌ها در تهران ['Zob Ahan's powerful qualification to AFC Champions League final match, a response to Saudi Sword dance in Tehran']. Kayhan (in Persian). No. 19772. October 23, 2010. p. 13.
  6. Duerden, John. "Asia awaits neighbourly rivalry". ESPN . Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  7. Sundaresan, Keeshaanan (October 11, 2011). "Bad memories will motivate us to defeat Bahrain, says Iran skipper Javad Nekounam". Goal.com. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  8. "Iran: Football World Cup, female fans and Saudi Arabian rivalry".
  9. "Saudi, Iran dispute forces Champions League schedule switch". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  10. "AFC delays Saudi, Iran Champions League matches". ESPN.com. 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  11. "Decisions following AFC Competitions Committee meeting". the-AFC. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  12. McKirdy, Euan (2016-03-16). "Saudi, Iranian teams head to neutral grounds". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  13. "Saudi Arabian FF and FFIRI matches to be played home-and-away". Asian Football Confederation. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  14. "Saudi and Iranian clubs to resume home-and-away matches, AFC confirms". Arab News. 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  15. "'Historic move': Saudi football clubs to play in Iran as travel ban lifted". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
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