Do you consider Team Melli the most isolated team in the world?

[Rooyintan]

Media fools in Iran are at it again with their malicious agenda ridiculing Team Melli's 9th of October friendly opponent. You can read the article here

https://www.bartarinha.ir/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%B4%DB%8C-123/1499543-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%AF%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%AD%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%81-%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF

In reality who is the most isolated national football team in the World? Is it Team Melli or Russia?

In the past several years, didn't Russia play Cameroon, Serbia in Moscow and for this year is going to host Zambia and Nigeria? and unlucky for them their match with Paraguay last year got cancelled due to terrorist attack in Moscow.

We all know that the only time Paraguay played Team Melli was at 2002 LG Cup in Tabriz. Cameroon played two friendly matches with TM back in 1992 in Azadi Stadium. Zambia played TM in Tehran back in 2008. Serbia has never played TM, and Nigeria has only faced TM in 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong and 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Cameroon was not even their regular starters from 1990 World Cup or their current team at the time. Why hasn't FFIRI been able to bring Serbia, Paraguay, Cameroon, Nigeria, Zambia to Iran for friendly match these past several years?

The strongest non-AFC opponents Islamic Republic managed to bring to Iran were Germany in 2004, Paraguay in 2002, Senegal in 2009, Russia in 2023, Slovakia in 2002, Hungary in 1998, Poland in 1990, Costa Rica in 2006 & 2008, Zambia in 2008.

Empire of Iran, also struggled to bring strong opponents to Iran. The best they managed were Czechoslovakia in 1974, Soviet Union in 1978, Turkey in 1965, Hungary in 1975 & 1977, Yugoslavia in 1978, Romania in 1976 & 1977, Wales in 1978, Bulgaria in 1978.

All others strong opponents faced Team Melli abroad in friendlies or friendly tournaments (not counting World Cup and Olympic Games obviously).

- Brazil in 2010, in Dubai, UAE
- Argentina in 1977, in Madrid, Spain
- France in 1978 away
- Portugal in 1972 Independence Cup in Brazil
- Croatia twice away in 1998 & 2006
- Uruguay in 2003 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, and 2022 in neutral venue in Europe
- Mexico in 2000 friendly in USA, and 2007 away
- Sweden in 2015 away
- Denmark in 1999 away
- Austria in 2000 away
- Chile in 1972 Independence Cup in Brazil, 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, and 2015 in neutral venue in Europe
- Nigeria in 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong
- Ukraine in 2002 away

then ofcourse for the teams that had managed to bring to Iran, there were these away or neutral venue matches as well

- Senegal in 2022 friendly in neutral venue in Europe
- Russia in 2010 friendly match in UAE, away match in 2017
- Turkey in 1950 friendly, 1969 RCD Cup, 2018 friendly all three away, and 1967 RCD Cup in Bangladesh
- Slovakia in 2001 friendly away

I did not count matches with Ecuador, Tunisia, Algeria, or some other European, African and Latin American teams. Since they are not known as superpowers in Football.

Conclusion: Team Melli has struggled to bring very high profile teams to Iran for friendly matches. It was an issue back in Imperial period as well as Islamic Republic period. Currently, to be honest Team Melli is perhaps the most isolated team in the World.

[Super Shojaei]

Probably North Korea or Eritrea - North Korea don’t even have a kit maker and they can’t play home games

Eritrea withdrew from African qualifiers because their players kept escaping for away games

[Rooyintan]

Probably North Korea or Eritrea - North Korea don’t even have a kit maker and they can’t play home games

Eritrea withdrew from African qualifiers because their players kept escaping for away games

Very true, but out of Team Melli and Russia who's the most isolated? When Iran was Empire of Iran, Soviet Union was football superpower and played strong teams in friendly matches and tournaments. When Iran became Islamic Republic, still Soviet Union, CIS and Russia played strong teams in friendlies and friendly tournaments. Now despite the Ukraine war, ban by FIFA and UEFA for official tournaments, Russia is still bringing strong teams to Russia to play them, what has Islamic Republic done?

[Karimi 8]

Probably North Korea or Eritrea - North Korea don’t even have a kit maker and they can’t play home games

Eritrea withdrew from African qualifiers because their players kept escaping for away games

The bar is so low lol

[Super Shojaei]

The bar is so low lol

Well the question was are we the most isolated? And I would say no - probably corrupt African nations + North Korea are , probably throw in a few rogue south East Asian states Myanmar , Laos and Cambodia - plus Pakistan too they’ve played like 10 matches in 4 years due to the intense corruption in their fa

so we are not the most isolated - isolated yes but the most - no

[Super Shojaei]

The bar is so low lol

North Korea’s star player literally had to be deported from Italy because of economic sanctions and he spent most of Covid in hiding in the dpr Korea embassy in doha lol

[PSGman#19]

Russia and soviet union were always more powerful than Iran. They are isolated by the western world but a lot of countries don't share that. Also compare moscow and st petersburg with chaotic Tehran, and all the hejab or any other BS harassment reported by world media. We had cr7 coming to Iran served on a golden plate by ksa and we blew it away by our own stupidity. Please note we play some world class teams in froendlies in others sports : volleyball, basketball, handball, etc..

[Super Shojaei]

Media fools in Iran are at it again with their malicious agenda ridiculing Team Melli's 9th of October friendly opponent. You can read the article here

https://www.bartarinha.ir/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%B4%DB%8C-123/1499543-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%AF%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%AD%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%81-%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF

In reality who is the most isolated national football team in the World? Is it Team Melli or Russia?

In the past several years, didn't Russia play Cameroon, Serbia in Moscow and for this year is going to host Zambia and Nigeria? and unlucky for them their match with Paraguay last year got cancelled due to terrorist attack in Moscow.

We all know that the only time Paraguay played Team Melli was at 2002 LG Cup in Tabriz. Cameroon played two friendly matches with TM back in 1992 in Azadi Stadium. Zambia played TM in Tehran back in 2008. Serbia has never played TM, and Nigeria has only faced TM in 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong and 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Cameroon was not even their regular starters from 1990 World Cup or their current team at the time. Why hasn't FFIRI been able to bring Serbia, Paraguay, Cameroon, Nigeria, Zambia to Iran for friendly match these past several years?

The strongest non-AFC opponents Islamic Republic managed to bring to Iran were Germany in 2004, Paraguay in 2002, Senegal in 2009, Russia in 2023, Slovakia in 2002, Hungary in 1998, Poland in 1990, Costa Rica in 2006 & 2008, Zambia in 2008.

Empire of Iran, also struggled to bring strong opponents to Iran. The best they managed were Czechoslovakia in 1974, Soviet Union in 1978, Turkey in 1965, Hungary in 1975 & 1977, Yugoslavia in 1978, Romania in 1976 & 1977, Wales in 1978, Bulgaria in 1978.

All others strong opponents faced Team Melli abroad in friendlies or friendly tournaments (not counting World Cup and Olympic Games obviously).

- Brazil in 2010, in Dubai, UAE
- Argentina in 1977, in Madrid, Spain
- France in 1978 away
- Portugal in 1972 Independence Cup in Brazil
- Croatia twice away in 1998 & 2006
- Uruguay in 2003 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, and 2022 in neutral venue in Europe
- Mexico in 2000 friendly in USA, and 2007 away
- Sweden in 2015 away
- Denmark in 1999 away
- Austria in 2000 away
- Chile in 1972 Independence Cup in Brazil, 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, and 2015 in neutral venue in Europe
- Nigeria in 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong
- Ukraine in 2002 away

then ofcourse for the teams that had managed to bring to Iran, there were these away or neutral venue matches as well

- Senegal in 2022 friendly in neutral venue in Europe
- Russia in 2010 friendly match in UAE, away match in 2017
- Turkey in 1950 friendly, 1969 RCD Cup, 2018 friendly all three away, and 1967 RCD Cup in Bangladesh
- Slovakia in 2001 friendly away

I did not count matches with Ecuador, Tunisia, Algeria, or some other European, African and Latin American teams. Since they are not known as superpowers in Football.

Conclusion: Team Melli has struggled to bring very high profile teams to Iran for friendly matches. It was an issue back in Imperial period as well as Islamic Republic period. Currently, to be honest Team Melli is perhaps the most isolated team in the World.

We still bring in high profile coaches and as of today have bought In Ben Yedder - I’m not sure many teams in Asia could afford him outside the Persian gulf nations

Sepehan , Tractor Persepolis and Esteghal probably have bigger wage budgets than most j league and k league teams but they waste it on bad players for the most part - I believe Iranian footballers are really overpaid in iran

Still some high profile coaches want to come to Iran - as for other nations yeah our friendlies aren’t entertaining and we struggle for opponents but I believe a lot of Asian nations are more isolated and have weak leagues in comparison

i just think our wealth is wasted - my girlfriend is Korean from gwangju and their football team has been destroying elite Japanese clubs in the acl this league and their budget is probably less than half of tractor or pp - they just have a fantastic coach and play good together in a system sometimes that counts for a lot more than people think