Iran men's national water polo team

The Iran men's national water polo team represents Iran in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by the IR Iran Amateur Swimming Federation.

Iran

FINA code	IRI
Nickname(s)	Team Melli
Association	IR Iran Amateur Swimming Federation
Confederation	AASF (Asia)
Head coach	Aleksandar Ćirić
Asst coach	Vahid Rezaei
Captain	Hamed Malek-Khanbanan
Home venue	Shahid Shiroudi Stadium
Olympic Games
Appearances	1 (first in 1976)
Best result	12th place (1976)
World Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 1975)
Best result	15th place (1975, 1998)
World League
Appearances	4 (first in 2008)
Best result	Preliminary round (2008, 2009, 2010)
Asian Games
Appearances	10 (first in 1970)
Best result	Gold medal (1974)

Iran men's national water polo team

Medal record
Asian Games
	1974 Tehran	Team
	2018 Jakarta	Team

Tournament records

Olympic Games

Main article: Water polo at the Summer Olympics

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
1900–1936	not an IOC member
1948	18	did not enter
1952	21
1956	10
1960	16
1964	13
1968	15
1972	16	did not qualify
1976	12	12th place	8	0	0	8
1980	12	did not enter
1984	12
1988	12
1992	12
1996	12	did not qualify
2000	12	did not enter
2004	12
2008	12	did not qualify
2012	12	did not enter
2016	12	did not qualify
2020	12
2024	12

World Championships

World Championships record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1973	did not compete
1975	Preliminary round	15th place	3	0	0	3	5	39	-34
1978	did not compete
1982
1986
1991
1994
1998	Preliminary round	15th place	3	0	0	3	7	-49	-42
2001	did not compete
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022

World League / World Cup

Main article: FINA World Water Polo League

Year	Rank	Pld	W	L
2002	did not enter
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008	5th place in Asia/Oceania	8	0	8
2009	3rd place in Asia/Oceania	6	2	4
2010	6th place in Asia/Oceania	10	0	10
2011	did not enter
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2022
2023	5th place in Division 2	4	2	2

World Cup (old format)

Main article: FINA Water Polo World Cup

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
1979	8	did not enter
1981	8
1983	8
1985	8
1987	8
1989	8
1991	8
1993	8
1995	8
1997	8
1999	8
2002	8
2006	8
2010	8	8th place	6	0	0	6
2014	8	did not enter
2018	8

Asian Games

Main article: Water polo at the Asian Games

Iran water polo team in 1973 before a friendly match with Egypt. This team won the Asian Games one year later.

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
1951	2	did not enter
1954	6
1958	5
1962	4
1966	5
1970	7	4th place	4	0	1	3
1974	7	Champions	6	4	2	0
1978	7	did not enter
1982	8
1986	6	4th place	5	2	1	2
1990	7	6th place	4	1	1	2
1994	6	4th place	5	2	0	3
1998	9	5th place	6	2	0	4
2002	6	4th place	4	1	0	3
2006	10	4th place	6	3	1	2
2010	9	did not enter
2014	7
2018	9	3rd place	6	4	0	2
2022	8	4th place	6	3	0	3

Asian Championships

Main article: Asian Water Polo Championship

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
1984	7	3rd place	5	3	1	1
1988	6	did not enter
1991	10	5th place
1995	13	3rd place	4	3	0	1
2000	7	did not enter
2005	8
2009	6
2012	4
2012	9
2015	5	4th place	4	1	0	3
2016	8	4th place	6	3	0	3
2022	10	4th place	7	5	0	2
2023	8	Runners-up	6	5	0	1
2025	9	4th place	7	4	0	3

Asian Cup

Main article: Asian Water Polo Cup

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
2010	4	Runners-up	3	2	0	1
2012	5	3rd place	4	2	0	2
2013	6	Champions	5	5	0	0

FINA Development Trophy

Main article: FINA World Water Polo Development Trophy

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
2007	12	3rd place	6	5	0	1
2009	12	did not enter
2011	11	Runners-up	6	5	0	1
2013	12	did not enter
2015	10	Champions	5	5	0	0
2017	8	disqualified	6	5	0	1

Islamic Solidarity Games

Main article: Islamic Solidarity Games

Year	NoT	Rank	Pld	W	D	L
2005	6	4th place	5	2	1	2
2017	5	Runners-up	4	3	1	0

Former coaches

• Nico Firoiu (1969–71, 1972–74)
• Ante Nakić
• Neven Kovačević
• Stanislav Pivovarov (2010)
• Paolo Malara (2011)
• Roman Poláčik (2011–2012)
• Paolo Malara (2013–2014)
• Sirous Taherian (2014--2016)