I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF)

What I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) does

I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF), legal name Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is the sole FIFA- and AFC-recognized governing body for football in Iran, founded in 1920 and headquartered in Tehran. It oversees all football activity in the country, including senior, youth (U-20, U-17), women's, and futsal national teams; the professional league system anchored by the Persian Gulf Pro League (لیگ برتر) and Azadegan League; referee and coach education aligned with AFC standards; youth talent identification; and provincial governance through 31 provincial football associations. The federation is led by President Mehdi Taj and operates under the supervision of Iran's Ministry of Sport and Youth as a quasi-governmental, state-affiliated entity.

The federation's primary offering is governance and administration of the Iranian football ecosystem rather than a commercial product. Its technology footprint includes a centralized official website (the-ffiri.com) serving as an integrated news portal; an Internet Television service for live match streaming; an in-house photo archive and federation newspaper (issue 400 in 2026); and technical publications drawn from FIFA and AFC standards. Deployed infrastructure includes a nationwide VAR system for top-tier league matches and the National Football Center used for team training and education programs. Reporting cadence includes annual performance reports and a published 5-year performance review. In 2025 the federation signed a contract for the construction of a new headquarters building.

IRIFF is funded through government allocations, sponsorship contracts (including with Naft Pars Oil Company / نفت پارس and Bazzelli / پازایله), broadcasting rights, and club participation fees; revenue and financial statements are not publicly disclosed. Commercial activity is anchored by long-standing Core Strategic partnerships with FIFA and AFC, alongside minor GTM sponsorships and a strategic partnership with IFIMARC (ایفمارک) sports medicine center. The federation operates across a single domestic market (Iran) while participating globally via FIFA and AFC competitions, most recently qualifying the Iran national team for FIFA World Cup 2026.

Name

I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF)

Legal name

Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (فدراسیون فوتبال جمهوری اسلامی ایران)

Website

https://the-ffiri.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) is the FIFA- and AFC-recognized governing body for football in Iran, overseeing national teams, the Persian Gulf Pro League, referee and coach education, and 31 provincial football associations, headquartered in Tehran under state supervision.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (7112), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rules, Officiating & Referee Associations (Officials/umpires bodies) (MPAKAFAK), Referee, Umpire & Coach Education/Certification Academies (MPAKAJAN), Sports Officiating & Competition Management (MPAGAMAK)

Keywords

• National football federation
• Football league management
• Referee training programs
• Coach education certifications
• Youth football development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IRIFF is the national governing body for football in Iran, overseeing all aspects of the sport including senior, youth, women's, and futsal national teams, professional domestic leagues (Persian Gulf Pro League, Azadegan League, lower divisions), referee training and certification, coaching education aligned with AFC standards, and youth talent identification across 31 provincial football associations.

Product overview

I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) operates a digital platform centered on its official news portal that disseminates information about Iranian football. The offering consists of a unified news website covering national teams (men's, women's, youth, futsal), domestic leagues (Persian Gulf Cup/لیگ برتر), Asian competitions, and federation administrative matters. Supporting content includes a dedicated football newspaper publication, annual and 5-year performance reports, technical publications (FIFA Quality Programme, AFC Stadium Regulations, AFC Competition Operational Guide), and multimedia resources including video streaming and photo archives. The platform also publishes commemorative books. There is no evidence of a modular platform architecture or add-on products—the federation website functions as a single integrated information and news service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Team Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Iran national team qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026
• AFC (Asian Football Confederation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026
• Bazzelli (بازلی)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025
• Naft Pars (نفت پارس)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025
• IFIMARC (ایفمارک) - Sports Medicine CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Japan Football Association (JFA): National football federation of Japan and AFC member, overseeing national teams across age/gender categories, J.League, and coach/referee education. Closely comparable in structure, AFC alignment, and World Cup participation history, with substantially larger scale.
• Qatar Football Association (QFA): National football federation of Qatar and AFC member, overseeing Qatar Stars League and national teams. Directly comparable as a Gulf-region AFC federation with strong government backing and significant infrastructure investment in football development.
• Korea Football Association (KFA): National football federation of South Korea and AFC member, managing K-League, national teams, and referee/coach development. Most directly comparable peer given shared AFC membership, similar World Cup participation profile, and East Asian football ecosystem parallels to Iran's West Asian context.
• All India Football Federation (AIFF): National football federation of India and AFC member, managing Indian Super League, I-League, and national teams. Comparable in scope of football governance and AFC alignment, with shared focus on emerging football market development.
• Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF): National football federation of Saudi Arabia and fellow AFC West Asian member, managing Saudi Pro League and national teams. Directly comparable in regional AFC positioning, cultural context, and league commercialization scale.
• Football Federation Australia (Football Australia): National football federation of Australia (AFC member), overseeing A-League, national teams, and development pathways. Comparable as an AFC federation of similar operational scale with comparable World Cup qualification track record.

Others

• Asian Football Confederation (AFC): Continental football governing body and parent organization of which IRIFF is a member federation. Comparable as a football governance structure, though operates at supranational level with competition organization and development program mandates rather than domestic league governance.
• FIFA: International federation governing association football globally and the parent body of which IRIFF is a member. Comparable as the ultimate football governance authority, but operates at global rather than national level.

Broad incumbents

• Football Association (The FA - England): National football federation of England and FIFA/UEFA member, overseeing Premier League, FA Cup, and national teams. Comparable as a national federation structure, but operates at significantly larger scale in a more mature commercial football market.
• German Football Association (DFB): National football federation of Germany, overseeing Bundesliga, national teams, and referee/coach education. Comparable in national federation structure and comprehensive ecosystem management, though operating in a much larger commercial market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/share.php
• Xx.com/tweet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-iran-football-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about I.R. Iran Football Federation (IRIFF)