News ID: 538

Date: 04 January 2026 - 15:19

AFC U23 Asian Cup

Know your team: IR Iran

Iran’s perfect showing in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Qualifiers will give them confidence of making an impact in the Finals, with the Central Asian nation aiming to lift the trophy for the first time.

Iran topped Group I after defeating United Arab Emirates, Guam and Hong Kong, China, scoring 13 goals and conceding just two to book their fifth appearance in the continental showcase.

Factfile
Previous appearances: 4
Best finish: Q-finals (2016)
2024 record: Did not qualify
How they qualified: Group I winners
Group C fixtures: v Korea Republic (Jan 7), v Uzbekistan (Jan 10), v Lebanon (Jan 13)
Fun fact: Iran's last two appearances in the Finals have ended in the group stage.

Aside from their winning qualifying campaign, IR Iran also have Kasra Taheri (pictured below), the Qualifiers’ top scorer with five goals.

The 19-year-old striker, who plays for Peykan in the Iran Pro League, claimed a hat-trick in their 6-0 defeat of Guam after coming on in the second half and grabbed a brace in their 4-0 win over Hong Kong, China.

The team also has other capable scorers in the form of Esteghlal FC’s Ammirmohammad Razaghinia, who put in a commanding performance in midfield, and team captain Mohammad Javad Hosseinnezhad, who plays for Russia’s Dynamo Makhachkala.

Head coach Omid Ravankhah would want his side to emulate the success of IR Iran’s senior team, who have shone on the continental and world stages, including consistently qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.

In contrast, the U23 squad made it as far as the AFC U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals in 2016, where they lost 3-0 to Japan.

Their participation in 2013, 2020 and 2022 concluded at the group stage, and they failed to qualify in 2018 and 2024.

IR Iran will have to hit the ground running at Saudi Arabia 2026, first meeting 2020 champions Korea Republic followed by 2018 winners Uzbekistan and finishing against debutants Lebanon.