Inside story: Iranian soccer

Population: 65,000,000

Footballing roots: The Iranian Football Federation was established in 1920, affiliated to FIFA in 1945.

Home ground: The Azadi Stadium, Tehran (official capacity 100,000, though sometimes 120,000 squeeze in).

Domestic game: The country has a largely part-time club structure based around the Azadegan national league (named in honour of former Iranian prisoners from the war with Iraq) which is played from September until May. Many of the clubs remain poorly organised despite the massive popularity of the sport, but the big Tehran clubs, Peroze and Esteghlal, can fill the Azadi for particularly important games or derby matches. A professional league is to be established next season.

International pedigree: Consistently strong performers on their continent where they have three times won the Asian Cup (twice on home soil) and three times the Asian games.

Iran have twice before qualified for the World Cup finals.

1978: Lost 0-3 to the Netherlands, Drew 1-1 with Scotland, Lost 1-4 to Peru.

1998: Lost 0-1 to Yugoslavia, Beat the USA 2-1, Lost 0-2 to Germany. Eliminated after first round on both occasions.

Previous meeting with the Republic of Ireland: The two countries have met only once, at the Santa Cruz Stadium in Brazil back on June 11th, 1971. Ireland won 2-1 with Mick Leech and Don Givens scoring the goals.

Current manager: Miroslav Blazevic. Formerly in charge of Croatia when Ireland were in the same qualifying group for Euro 2000. The 66-year-old Bosnia-Herzogovinian has considerable experience on the international stage and is something of a character. Took over the team at the start of the year after a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by South Korea at the Asian games in Tripoli.

Current players: Ali Daei is by far the best known due to his phenomenal scoring record, roughly two goals for every three games.

There are, however, a number of well regarded players within the squad, including Rahman Rezai and Ali Samereh, both of whom play in Italy, as well as Kharim Bagheri, Mehrdad Minavand and local favourite Ali Karimi, all of whom play or have played in major European leagues.

The team is, however, without Khodadad Azizi, a key contributor to the successful France '98 campaign, now excluded from the squad because of falling out with Blazevic.

Qualifying record this time:

First stage: Topped three-team group that included Tajikistan and Guam having won two out of two and scored 21 goals while not conceding any. This was largely down to a 19-0 defeat of Guam.

Second stage: Finished second to Saudi Arabia in five-team group that also included Bahrain, Iraq and Thailand. Won four and drew three of their eight games with the one defeat, in their last game away to Bahrain, which cost them automatic qualification for next summer's finals.

Third stage: Beat the UAE 1-0 at home and 3-0 away.

Fourth stage: Play Ireland on November 10th and 15th in final decider.