Although the Iranian Football Federation was first formed in 1926, it took 15 years for them to play their first international fixture. Team Melli went on to enjoy an impressive period of success as they won 3 consecutive Asian Cups between 1968 and 1976. Although the team faded after the 1979 Iranian Revolution as football fell by the way side, the team re-established itself as a force in Asian football during the 1990s and 2000s, winning 4 WAFF Championships between 2000 and 2008. The success was spearheaded by star striker Ali Daei, whose world record of 109 international goals stood until it was broken by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021.
