Ali Daei

Ali Daei is the historic top scorer of Iran's national team and, for almost two decades, held the record as the greatest goalscorer in men's national team history, with 109 goals scored for Iran. A striker with physical strength and good aerial play, he built his career in Iranian football before transferring to Germany, becoming one of the first major Asian names to play in the Bundesliga. Daei defended clubs such as Esteghlal and Persepolis in Iran before signing with Arminia Bielefeld in 1998. Later, he wore the shirts of Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin, ending his career at Al-Sadd, from Qatar. For the Iranian national team, he was captain in three World Cups (1998, 2002, and 2006) and scored one of the most memorable goals in the country's history: a header in the 2-1 victory over the United States at the 1998 World Cup, in one of the most politically symbolic games in world football. Retired from the pitch, Daei remained a reference in Iranian and Asian football, being remembered as one of the greatest goalscorers in sports history, alongside names like Cristiano Ronaldo, who surpassed his mark of international goals only in 2021.