00:06Heading to their 4th World Cup in a row, and 6th in 8 editions,
00:11Iran are now firmly established on the international scene.
00:16But in 18 World Cup matches they have won only three times,
00:20and they have yet to progress beyond the first round.
00:25Four years ago in Qatar, Team Melly faced the USA in their final match of the group phase,
00:31knowing a draw would suffice, but slumped to a 1-0 defeat.
00:39That was their third World Cup campaign in a row, overseen by Carlos Kiros.
00:44But he was subsequently replaced by Amir Galanoi,
00:47with the veteran returning for a second stint in the dugout.
00:55Galanoi oversaw a serene qualification process,
00:59that included six wins from their first seven matches.
01:05Powerhouse Mehdi Taremi led all comers with five goals,
01:09while Iran stalwart Sada Azmoun chipped in with four.
01:16Taremi, now at Olympiakos, is one of only a handful of Iranian internationals signed to a club in Europe,
01:22with the majority of the squad plying their trade in the Persian Gulf Pro League.
01:36Ali Reza Beerenvand is the long-term custodian of Iran's number one jersey.
01:41And he holds the distinction of saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty at Russia 2018.
01:50Heerenvand has also achieved two Guinness World Records during his career,
01:55including the longest throw of a football at 61 metres,
01:59and the longest dropkick at 78 metres.
02:13Galanoi operates with a flat-back four,
02:15and they kept five clean sheets in ten qualifying matches.
02:22Screening just in front is a midfield pivot of Saeed Ezatalahi and Saman Godos.
02:29Godos was born and raised in Sweden,
02:31and made his name as part of the Brentford team
02:34that secured promotion to the English Premier League for the first time in the club's history in 2021.
02:45The forward line is dominated by the formidable Taremi.
02:48He averages better than a goal every other game for Iran,
02:53while at club level he has excelled for both Porto and Inter.
02:59Supporting Taremi either from the start or coming off the bench
03:03will be Azmoun and former Eredivisie regular Ali Reza Jahambach.
03:11Flair will be provided by the Neymar of Asia, Mehdi Gayedi.
03:20Now a fixture inside the top 25 on FIFA's rankings,
03:24and the confidence of a comprehensive final qualifying phase behind them,
03:28belief is once again high that Iran can shine on the grandest stage.
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