| Goalkeepers |
| Player |
Team, Age,
Caps |
| Ahmadreza
Abedzadeh |
(Pirouzi), age
32 (33 on May 26), 65 caps. |
| An experienced
keeper, athletic, confident, albeit some say over-confident. Has been criticized
for his penchant for theatrics, but should hold his own in France. |
| |
| Nima
Nakisa |
(Pirouzi), 22
(23 on May 1), 0 caps. |
| A young, rising
star, seen as Iran's future goalkeeper. He has good skills, but there are
still questions about his temperament. |
| |
| Defenders |
| Player |
Team, Age,
Caps |
| Naeem
Saadavi |
(Pirouzi), 26,
7 caps. |
| An aggressive,
attacking defender who works hard on the right side of the team. Sometimes
neglects his defensive duty in his eagerness to get forward. |
| |
| Mohammad
Khakpour |
(Pirouzi), 29,
36 caps. |
| Seen as the
anchor of Iran's defense. Solid, tough, and strong. Honed his skills in
Singapore helping Geylang United to the championship there. |
| |
| Ali
Akbar Ostad Asadi |
(Zob-e-Ahan),
32, 29 caps. |
| Unlike Saadavi,
he prefers to stay back in his defensive role on the left side of the defense.
May be past his peak. |
| |
| Mehdi
Pashazadeh |
(Esteghlal),
24, 3 caps. |
| A tall, athletic
defender who usually man-marks the opposing team's star striker. Physically
imposing and brave. |
| |
| Afshin
Peyravani |
(Pirouzi), 28,
37 caps. |
| A good defender
but criticized for a tendency to have mental lapses. Experienced but has
had injury problems of late. |
| |
| Javad
Zarrincheh |
(Esteghlal),
32, 54 caps. |
| Resurrected
by new coach Tomislav Ivic after being dropped by Majeli Kohan. A veteran
defender, alert, reliable, and solid. Has also had fitness problems, however. |
| |
| Reza
Torabian |
(Pirouzi), 26,
1 cap. |
| Lacks experience
but has come on well this season. Could make the bench. |
| |
| Reza
Rezaeimanesh |
(Pirouzi), 28,
12 caps. |
| A tough, hard-tackling
defender who may just make the final 22. |
| |
| Farshad
Falahadzadeh |
(Bahman), 27,
12 caps. |
| Has returned
to the national team after being banned on doping charges. Yet another
attacking defender. Not one to back down from a fight, critics say he plays
with a chip on his shoulder. |
| |
| Midfielders |
| Player |
Team, Age,
Caps |
| Karim
Bagheri |
(Arminia Bielefeld,
Germany), 24, 43 caps. |
| Supremely talented,
one of Iran's 'German trio'. Confident, tough, aggressive and likes shooting
from outside the box. Iran's leading scorer in World Cup qualifying rounds,
with 19 goals in all. |
| |
| Hamid
Estili |
(Bahman), 31,
43 caps. |
| Complements
Bagheri in the middle and is a dangerous goal-scorer in his own right.
Gained valuable experience Singapore's soccer leagues. |
| |
| Mehdi
Mahdavikia |
(Pirouzi), 20,
23 caps. |
| Speedy, dangerous
midfielder. Short, stocky and strong, he is well capable of exploiting
slow opposing defenders. |
| |
| Farhad
Majidi |
(Esteghlal),
21 (22 on June 3), 12 caps. |
| A gifted young
player with excellent ball skills who is said to be mature beyond his years.
Likely to be on the bench in France. |
| |
| Mehrdad
Minavand |
(Pirouzi), 22,
22 caps. |
| An attacking
midfielder who is brilliant one minute and awful the next. Has good technique
and is capable of crossing superbly. |
| |
| Alireza
Mansourian |
(Esteghlal),
25, 32 caps. |
| A calming influence
in the middle of the pitch. Passes the ball well and use his intelligence. |
| |
| Reza
Shahroudi |
(Pirouzi), 26,
33 caps. |
| His experience
in Turkey playing against European-caliber players stands him in good stead.
Works down the left and likes dribbling and has good touch. |
| |
| Sirous
Deenmohammadi |
(Shahrdari Tabriz),
29, 15 caps. |
| Recalled by
Ivic and has impressed in recent friendlies to make a late bid for a place
in the squad for France. |
| |
| Forwards |
| Player |
Team, Age,
Caps |
| Alireza
Akbarpour |
(Esteqlal),
23, 0 caps. |
| A young player
who has made an impact in training and could sneak into squad. |
| |
| Khodadad
Azizi |
(Cologne, Germany),
26 (27 on June 22), 26 caps. |
| The 1996 Asian
Player of the Year. A dazzling striker with good speed and a fine touch
and finish. Has fared well in Germany and will be Iran's main threat to
opposing teams in France. |
| |
| Ali
Daei |
(Arminia Bielefeld),
29, 49 caps. |
| A fiery, tough
goal scorer. Tall and effective in the air, he has been dubbed 'The Finisher'
for his scoring ability. Scored seven goals in one game against the Maldives
in qualifying. |
| |
| Sattar
Hamedani |
(Bahman), 22,
3 caps. |
| Another young
player with a bright future who will benefit from the experience of going
to France. |
| |
| Ali
Mousavi |
(Pas), 24, 8
caps. |
| A useful young
forward who crosses well and has shown good speed down the flanks in friendlies. |
|
