Iran–Saudi Arabia football rivalry

Football sports rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia

Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry
(Asian El Clasico)Location| Asia
West Asia
Central Asia

|

Teams|  Iran
Saudi Arabia
First meeting| 24 August 1975
(49 years ago)
Iran 3–0 Saudi Arabia
Olympics qualification
Latest meeting| 9 December 2012
Saudi Arabia 0–0 Iran
WAFF Championship
Statistics
Meetings total| 16
Most wins| Iran - 5
Top scorer|  Ali Daei (4)
All-time record| Iran: 5
Draw: 6
Saudi Arabia: 4
Largest victory| Iran 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.

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[edit]

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.[9]

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.[10]

## Matches[edit]

Source:[11][12]
#  | Date  | Competition  | Home team  | Score  | Away team  | Goals (home)  | Goals (away)  | Venue

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

—[a] | 24 August 1975  | 1976 Olympics qualification | Iran |

3–0

|  Saudi Arabia | Mazloomi 12', 83'; Khorshidi 63' |  |  Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran
1  | 7 January 1977  | 1978 World Cup qualification | Saudi Arabia |

0–3

|  Iran |  | Mazloomi 16', 78'; Roshan 62' |  Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
2[b] | 22 April 1977  | Iran |

2–0

|  Saudi Arabia | Yousefi 10'; Sharifi 84' |  |  Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz
3  | 13 December 1984  | 1984 Asian Cup | Saudi Arabia |

1–1

(a.e.t.)[c] |  Iran | Shahin Bayani 88' (o.g.) | Shahrokh Bayani 43' |  National Stadium, Singapore
4  | 15 December 1988  | 1988 Asian Cup | Saudi Arabia |

1–0

|  Iran | Abdullah 16' |  |  Qatar SC Stadium, Doha
5  | 28 October 1993  | 1994 World Cup qualification | Saudi Arabia |

4–3

|  Iran | Al-Jaber 21'; Mehalel 27'; Al-Mousa;  47'; Falatah 74' | Fonounizadeh 43', 52'; Manafi 90' |  Khalifa Stadium, Doha
6  | 11 December 1996  | 1996 Asian Cup | Saudi Arabia |

0–3

|  Iran |  | Daei 12'; Bagheri 37'; Azizi 47' |  Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
7  | 18 December 1996  | Iran |

0–0

(a.e.t.)[d] |  Saudi Arabia |  |  |  Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
8  | 19 September 1997  | 1998 World Cup qualification | Iran |

1–1

|  Saudi Arabia | Bagheri 64' | Al-Shahrani 32' |  Azadi Stadium, Tehran
9  | 24 October 1997  | Saudi Arabia |

1–0

|  Iran | Al-Muwalid 88' |  |  King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
10  | 24 August 2001  | 2002 World Cup qualification | Iran |

2–0

|  Saudi Arabia | Daei 54' (p), 64' |  |  Azadi Stadium, Tehran
11  | 28 September 2001  | Saudi Arabia |

2–2

|  Iran | Al-Waked 20'; Al-Yami 59' | Daei 42'; Dinmohammadi 84' |  Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah
12  | 6 September 2008  | 2010 World Cup qualification | Saudi Arabia |

1–1

|  Iran | Harthi 29' | Nekounam 81' |  King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
13  | 28 March 2009  | Iran |

1–2

|  Saudi Arabia | Shojaei 64' | Hazazi 79'; Al-Muwallad 87' |  Azadi Stadium, Tehran
14  | 12 December 2012  | 2012 WAFF Championship[e] | Iran |

0–0

|  Saudi Arabia |  |  |  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[edit]

Team  |  Pld  |  W  |  D  |  L  |  GF  |  GA  |  GD  | Best win

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Iran | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 3–0
Saudi Arabia | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 4–3
Matches held in Iran | 4

|

Matches held in neutral venue | 8
Matches held in Saudi Arabia | 4
Total matches | 16

## Top scorers[edit]

Rank | Player | Goals

|
|

1 |  Ali Daei | 4
2 |  Mehdi Fonounizadeh | 2
Karim Bagheri | 2
Gholamhossein Mazloomi | 2
Majed Abdullah | 2
3 | Various players | 1

## See also[edit]

* Iran–Iraq football rivalry
* Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
* Iraq–Saudi Arabia football rivalry

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ "AFC Champions League football matches delayed over Saudi-Iran tension | GulfNews.com". gulfnews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-25.
10. ^ "Saudi Arabian FF and FFIRI matches to be played home-and-away". Asian Football Confederation. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
11. ^ Courtney, Barrie (3 April 2009). "Saudi Arabia - List of International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
12. ^ Panahi, Majeed (7 August 2014). "Iran - International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved November 21, 2014.

* v
* t
* e

Iran national football team

General|

* Football Federation of Iran
* History
* Managers
* Notable matches

Venues|

* Azadi Stadium (1972–present), Amjadieh Stadium (1942–1972)
* National Football Camp (training)

Statistics|

* All-time match results
* All-time record
* Records
* All-time goalscorers

Players|

* Players (by caps)
* Captains
* International players
* Expatriate players

Goals|

* Ali Daei
* Sardar Azmoun

World Cup Finals|

* Summary
* 1978
* 1998
* 2006
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022

AFC Asian Cup Finals|

* Summary
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* 2019
* 2023

Other tournaments|

* The Olympics
* Asian Games
* West Asian Championship
* CAFA Nations Cup
* ECO Cup
* LG Cup
* West Asian Games
* Afro-Asian Cup of Nations

Culture|

* Rivalries
* Iraq
* Saudi Arabia
* Political protests

Senior|

* Men's results
* 1941–59
* 1960–79
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2010s
* 2020s

Other Iran teams|

* Women's (Results)
* Men's B
* Men's U23
* Men's U20
* Women's U20
* Men's U17
* Women's U17
* Men's futsal
* Women's futsal
* Men's beach soccer

* v
* t
* e

Saudi Arabia national football team

General|

* Saudi Arabian Football Federation
* History
* Managers
* Notable matches

Venues|

* King Fahd International Stadium
* King Abdullah Sports City

Statistics|

* Results
* 1957–79
* 1980–99
* 2000–09
* 2010–19
* 2020–present
* Competitions

Players|

* Recent players
* International players
* Women

World Cup Finals|

* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2018
* 2022

Asian Finals|

* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* 2019
* 2023
* 2027

Rivalries|

* Iran rivalry
* Iraq rivalry
* Kuwait rivalry
* UAE rivalry

Other Saudi teams|

* Women's
* Women's under-17
* U-23
* U-20
* U-17
* Futsal
* Beach soccer

* v
* t
* e

Iran–Saudi Arabia relations

Diplomatic posts|

* Ambassadors of Iran to Saudi Arabia
* Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Tehran
* Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to Iran

Diplomacy|

* Safari Club

Conflicts|

* Iranian Revolution
* 1979 Khuzestan insurgency
* Arab separatism in Khuzestan
* Qatif conflict
* 1979 Qatif Uprising
* Iran–Iraq War
* Action of June 5, 1984
* Qatar–Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict
* Qatar diplomatic crisis
* 2011 Egyptian revolution
* 2011 Bahraini uprising
* Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain
* insurgency in Bahrain
* First Libyan Civil War
* Syrian civil war
* Hezbollah involvement
* Iranian involvement
* Saudi involvement
* Spillover in Lebanon
* Axis of Resistance
* Iranian intervention in Iraq
* Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
* Houthi insurgency
* Operation Scorched Earth
* Operation Blow to the Head
* Yemeni Revolution
* Yemeni Civil War
* Saudi-led intervention in Yemen
* Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
* Houthi takeover in Yemen
* Second Libyan Civil War
* Western Iran clashes

Incidents|

* 1987 Mecca incident
* Khobar Towers bombing
* 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests
* 2016 Saudi Arabia mass execution
* Execution of Nimr al-Nimr
* 2016 attack on the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran
* 2019 Saudi Arabia mass execution
* 2011 alleged Iran assassination plot
* 2015 Mina stampede
* 2017 Lebanon–Saudi Arabia dispute
* 2017–2020 Qatif unrest
* 2018 Riyadh missile strike
* International Maritime Security Construct
* United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231
* May 2019 Gulf of Oman incident
* 2019 Afif attack
* Abha International Airport attacks
* Abqaiq–Khurais attack

Iranian relations
with GCC member states|

* Bahrain
* Kuwait
* Oman
* Qatar
* United Arab Emirates

Related|

* Iran–Saudi Arabia football rivalry
* Iran and state-sponsored terrorism
* Iran–Israel proxy conflict
* Arab League–Iran relations
* Arab–Israeli alliance against Iran
* Warsaw Middle East conference
* Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition
* Opposition to military action against Iran
* Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
* Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition
* Gulf Cooperation Council
* People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran
* Iran International
* Shia–Sunni relations
* Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia

Category:Iran–Saudi Arabia relations

* v
* t
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Asian football international rivalries

* Afghanistan–Pakistan
* Australia–Japan
* Australia–South Korea
* China–Hong Kong
* China–Japan
* China–South Korea
* Indonesia–Malaysia
* Iran–Iraq
* Iran–Saudi Arabia
* Iraq–Kuwait
* Iraq–Saudi Arabia
* Japan–South Korea
* Myanmar–Thailand
* North Korea–South Korea
* Qatar–United Arab Emirates
* Thailand–Vietnam

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