Get acquainted with the history of Iranian football ?! Explanations by Davood Mahmoudi

The history of football in Iran dates back to about a century ago, when a British company left for our country to explore oil in southern Iran. After digging the first oil well in Masjed Soleyman in 1908, football was seriously pursued in this city.

A little later, the same thing happened in “Bushehr”. In their spare time, English citizens stood up to our local teams, and of course, these competitions were more fun.

Football gradually emerged in other cities of Iran, including Bandar Anzali and Bandar Abbas at a critical time. Before World War I (1914), football was played in German schools, but after the end of the war, the American College in Tehran pursued the sport. Competitions were also established and followed between members of European embassies in Iran. The regular expansion of football, the borders of cities such as Abadan and Mashhad in Nordido also attracted more young people to this sport.

The first football team

At the end of the Qajar period (1919), a team was formed to appreciate the efforts of the Sardar Khan brothers, who were educated in Belgium and played a role in the development of football.

From 1960, the first Iranian club tournament was formed, and during the years 1962 to 1970, Iranian football gradually became stronger and showed a more successful face on the international stage. Attending the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics (1964), winning the Asian Games (1968), winning the Asian Club Cup by Esteghlal Tehran (1970) were some of the things that confirmed the growth of Iranian football capabilities.

The second round of our national league started in 1968 and lasted for 11 years (until 1978).