#Grassroots
Iran’s Education Ministry and Football Federation to Launch Nationwide School-Based Talent Scouting Program
According to the official website of the Football Federation and the Public Relations Office of the Deputy for Physical Education and Health, FFIRI President Mehdi Taj and Vice President Mehdi Mohammadnabi met today with Minister of Education Alireza Kazemi to explore collaborative strategies for identifying young football talent within the school system.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Education, was also attended by Mohammad Jafari (Deputy Minister for Physical Education and Health), Safdar Soltani (Director General of Physical Education), Hamidreza Saebi (Acting President of the Student Sports Federation), and a number of senior advisors and experts in student athletics.
Minister Kazemi welcomed the football delegation and underscored the global significance of football, emphasizing the ministry’s commitment to structured and sustainable investment in school football programs.
“Football and futsal play a major role in energizing school environments. We must collaborate with the federation to create a model for organizing school-level football leagues,” he stated.
Deputy Minister Jafari highlighted the dramatic expansion of school-based artificial turf fields in recent years under the “Shahid Soleimani” project, noting that the ministry now possesses substantial infrastructure to support the growth of football in schools across the country.
He further described the national school sports Olympics as a key priority for the Ministry, expressing readiness to engage in joint initiatives with FFIRI focused on talent identification.
Mehdi Taj reflected on his own school days and the passion of inter-school football competitions, noting:
“Real talent is discovered through active competition. We support holding more football events at the school level to ensure we tap into the country’s grassroots potential.”
Taj also proposed the formation of a joint task force to draft a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the FFIRI and the Ministry of Education.
“Advancing our football development goals relies heavily on close cooperation with the Ministry. With structured planning and the support of the Physical Education and Health Department, we can develop strong youth national teams that will safeguard the future of Iranian football,” he said.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to draft a formal MoU. A commemorative photo was taken with the Minister of Education, the FFIRI President and Vice President, and senior officials from the Ministry’s Physical Education and student sports departments.
