Iranian football fans, media, former players always complain about Team Melli not playing opponents with a higher FIFA ranking in friendly matches. However, this issue existed forever since very seldom did Team Melli play such opponents.
At the World Stage, the FIFA World Cups did provide Team Melli with the opportunity to play such opponents. In 1998 (Germany, Yugoslavia, USA), 2006 (Mexico & Portugal), 2014 (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina), 2018 (Spain & Portugal), 2022 (England & USA).
Also, the World Cup Qualification play-offs, 1997 (Australia - 2 matches), 2001 (Ireland - 2 matches). Then in Asia, WCQ, ACQ, AC provided opportunity for Team Melli to play Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia.
From the list below of Team Melli's encounters in friendly matches and tournaments, based on the observations, you can clearly see that Iran Football Federation has got it right, the likes of Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Tunisia, Croatia are more likely to play Team Melli in friendlies even when their ranking is higher. Unfortunately, this year matches with Uruguay, Chile and Mexico did not happen.
It seems that when Team Melli had a rank between 20 and 50, teams with higher rank more easily accepted a friendly match. In the other thread, you saw how also teams with one or several ranks below Team Melli played such as Turkiye and Sweden amongst others.
The bulk of matches are away or neutral venues. At times, it was tournaments such as Carlsberg Cup (in Hong Kong), other tournaments in Qatar and Oman which means those countries were able to choose such good opponents as invitees. USA also got Mexico as an additional friendly for Team Melli in 2000.
Many countries do not wish to travel to Iran due to political issues, in particular Islamic Republic of Iran not recognizing Israel or safety concerns due to the wars in the region or Iran itself (June 2025), financial reasons, or not wanting to have an Iran visa/stamp in their passports.
What are your thoughts or observations?
تمام نتایج تیم ملی فوتبال ایران مقابل تیمهای فیفا رنکینگ بالاتر در بازی های دوستانه و تدارکاتی
Here is the list of all time matches in friendlies and friendly tournaments.
In Bold, top 20 rankings.
CONMEBOL
31.01.1998 Carlsberg Cup 🇨🇱 Chile(16) v Iran(46) 1:1 (2:4 PEN.) D Hong Kong
19.09.2002 LG Cup Iran(34) v 🇵🇾 Paraguay(16) 1:1 (4:3 PEN.) D Tabriz
04.02.2003 Carlsberg Cup 🇺🇾 Uruguay(28) v Iran(34) 1:1 AET D Hong Kong
17.12.2008 Oman 4 side Tournament 🇪🇨 Ecuador(31) v Iran(44) 1:0 L Muscat
07.10.2010 Friendly 🇧🇷 Brazil(4) v Iran(57) 3:0 L Abu Dhabi
26.03.2015 Friendly 🇨🇱 Chile(15) v Iran(42) 0:2 W St Pölten
23.09.2022 Friendly 🇺🇾 Uruguay(13) v Iran(22) 0:1 W St Pölten
UEFA
03.06.1998 Friendly 🇭🇷 Croatia(19) v Iran(42) 2:0 L Riejka
10.10.1999 Friendly 🇩🇰 Denmark(16) v Iran(50) 0:0 D Copenhagen
09.10.2004 Friendly Iran(20) v 🇩🇪 Germany(13) 0:2 L Tehran
28.05.2006 Friendly 🇭🇷 Croatia(23) v Iran(23) 2:2 D Osijek (NOTE: equal ranking)
09.02.2011 Friendly 🇷🇺 Russia(12) v Iran(44) 0:1 W Abu Dhabi
CONCACAF
09.01.2000 Friendly 🇲🇽 Mexico(10) v Iran(49) 2:1 L Oakland
16.01.2000 Friendly 🇺🇸 USA(22) v Iran(49) 1:1 D Pasadena
03.06.2007 Friendly 🇲🇽 Mexico(20) v Iran(41) 4:0 L San Lois Potosi
CAF
07.06.2000 LG Cup Iran(42) v 🇪🇬 Egypt(32) 1:1 (8:9 PEN.) D Tehran
30.12.2009 Qatar Intl. Friendly Tournament 🇲🇱 Mali(47) v Iran(64) 2:1 L Doha
15.08.2012 Friendly 🇹🇳 Tunisia(41) v Iran(48) 2:2 D Kecskemet
23.03.2018 Friendly 🇹🇳 Tunisia(23) v Iran(33) 1:0 L Rades
27.09.2022 Friendly 🇸🇳 Senegal(18) v Iran(22) 1:1 D Maria Enzersdor
AFC
11.08.1999 Friendly 🇯🇵 Japan(44) v Iran(50) 1:1 D Yokohama
At the World Stage, the FIFA World Cups did provide Team Melli with the opportunity to play such opponents. In 1998 (Germany, Yugoslavia, USA), 2006 (Mexico & Portugal), 2014 (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina), 2018 (Spain & Portugal), 2022 (England & USA).
Also, the World Cup Qualification play-offs, 1997 (Australia - 2 matches), 2001 (Ireland - 2 matches). Then in Asia, WCQ, ACQ, AC provided opportunity for Team Melli to play Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia.
From the list below of Team Melli's encounters in friendly matches and tournaments, based on the observations, you can clearly see that Iran Football Federation has got it right, the likes of Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Tunisia, Croatia are more likely to play Team Melli in friendlies even when their ranking is higher. Unfortunately, this year matches with Uruguay, Chile and Mexico did not happen.
It seems that when Team Melli had a rank between 20 and 50, teams with higher rank more easily accepted a friendly match. In the other thread, you saw how also teams with one or several ranks below Team Melli played such as Turkiye and Sweden amongst others.
The bulk of matches are away or neutral venues. At times, it was tournaments such as Carlsberg Cup (in Hong Kong), other tournaments in Qatar and Oman which means those countries were able to choose such good opponents as invitees. USA also got Mexico as an additional friendly for Team Melli in 2000.
Many countries do not wish to travel to Iran due to political issues, in particular Islamic Republic of Iran not recognizing Israel or safety concerns due to the wars in the region or Iran itself (June 2025), financial reasons, or not wanting to have an Iran visa/stamp in their passports.
What are your thoughts or observations?
تمام نتایج تیم ملی فوتبال ایران مقابل تیمهای فیفا رنکینگ بالاتر در بازی های دوستانه و تدارکاتی
Here is the list of all time matches in friendlies and friendly tournaments.
In Bold, top 20 rankings.
CONMEBOL
31.01.1998 Carlsberg Cup 🇨🇱 Chile(16) v Iran(46) 1:1 (2:4 PEN.) D Hong Kong
19.09.2002 LG Cup Iran(34) v 🇵🇾 Paraguay(16) 1:1 (4:3 PEN.) D Tabriz
04.02.2003 Carlsberg Cup 🇺🇾 Uruguay(28) v Iran(34) 1:1 AET D Hong Kong
17.12.2008 Oman 4 side Tournament 🇪🇨 Ecuador(31) v Iran(44) 1:0 L Muscat
07.10.2010 Friendly 🇧🇷 Brazil(4) v Iran(57) 3:0 L Abu Dhabi
26.03.2015 Friendly 🇨🇱 Chile(15) v Iran(42) 0:2 W St Pölten
23.09.2022 Friendly 🇺🇾 Uruguay(13) v Iran(22) 0:1 W St Pölten
UEFA
03.06.1998 Friendly 🇭🇷 Croatia(19) v Iran(42) 2:0 L Riejka
10.10.1999 Friendly 🇩🇰 Denmark(16) v Iran(50) 0:0 D Copenhagen
09.10.2004 Friendly Iran(20) v 🇩🇪 Germany(13) 0:2 L Tehran
28.05.2006 Friendly 🇭🇷 Croatia(23) v Iran(23) 2:2 D Osijek (NOTE: equal ranking)
09.02.2011 Friendly 🇷🇺 Russia(12) v Iran(44) 0:1 W Abu Dhabi
CONCACAF
09.01.2000 Friendly 🇲🇽 Mexico(10) v Iran(49) 2:1 L Oakland
16.01.2000 Friendly 🇺🇸 USA(22) v Iran(49) 1:1 D Pasadena
03.06.2007 Friendly 🇲🇽 Mexico(20) v Iran(41) 4:0 L San Lois Potosi
CAF
07.06.2000 LG Cup Iran(42) v 🇪🇬 Egypt(32) 1:1 (8:9 PEN.) D Tehran
30.12.2009 Qatar Intl. Friendly Tournament 🇲🇱 Mali(47) v Iran(64) 2:1 L Doha
15.08.2012 Friendly 🇹🇳 Tunisia(41) v Iran(48) 2:2 D Kecskemet
23.03.2018 Friendly 🇹🇳 Tunisia(23) v Iran(33) 1:0 L Rades
27.09.2022 Friendly 🇸🇳 Senegal(18) v Iran(22) 1:1 D Maria Enzersdor
AFC
11.08.1999 Friendly 🇯🇵 Japan(44) v Iran(50) 1:1 D Yokohama
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