Iran's Persian Gulf Pro League

Iran Football League

Iran are one of Asia's premier teams and are a consistent powerhouse in continental club competitions.

Iranian football success is due to the high level of domestic competition which consistently produces high-quality players. At the top of the Iranian league structure is the Persian Gulf Pro League, formerly known as the Iran Pro League.

The league was founded on November 2nd, 2001 as a way to further raise the standards of Iranian football.

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Team Melli

Over the decades, the continuing development of Iranian football have seen 'Team Melli' qualify six times for the FIFA Men's World Cup (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022)

The league below the Pro League is the Azadegan League and the two bottom finishers are relegated down. Since 2013, the Pro League has been made up of 16 teams.

The league winner and runner-up of the Persian Gulf Pro League along with the domestic Hazfi Cup champions qualify for the AFC Champions League group stages.

The most successful club side, Persepolis, are the most successful club with seven titles and one of their stalwart players, Jalal Hosseini, is still going strong at the age of 40.

The team that finishes third of the Persian Gulf Pro League qualifies for the AFC Champions League Play-off round. The bottom two teams in the league are relegated to Azadegan League.