Background and career
Ali Daei (born 21 March 1969) is an Iranian former professional footballer and manager who played as a striker. He was the captain of the Iranian national team between 2000 and 2006 and played in the Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin. He is regarded as the greatest Iranian footballer of all time as well as one of the greatest footballers from Asia. Daei is the all-time Asian men's top goal scorer in international football (108).
A tall forward, Daei was a prolific goal-scorer, who was known for his heading accuracy and ability in the air. He was the world's top international goal-scorer with 108 goals until his record was broken by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 and went to third after being surpassed again by Lionel Messi in 2024. During his playing career, Daei was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2001. Following his retirement, Daei served as a member of the FIFA Football Committee between 2007 and 2013. In 2014, he was inducted into the Asian Football Hall of Fame.
