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Tehran Derby
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Team kits – Persepolis in red, Esteghlal
in blue | |
| Location | Tehran, Iran |
|---|---|
| Teams | Esteghlal Persepolis |
| Latest meeting | Persepolis 0–0 Esteghlal 2025–26 Persian Gulf Pro League 5 December 2025) |
| Stadiums | Azadi Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | Official matches: 99 |
| Most wins | Persepolis (29) |
| Most player appearances | Ali Parvin (20) |
| Top scorer | Safar Iranpak (7) |
| Largest victory | Taj 0–6 Persepolis |
The Tehran derby (Persian: شهرآورد تهران, romanized: Shahrāvard-i Tehrān), also known as Blue-Red derby (Persian: شهرآورد سرخابی, romanized: Shahrāvard-i Sorkhābi), is a football match between the two prominent Tehran clubs Esteghlal and Persepolis.
It is widely considered the major crosstown derby in the Persian Gulf Pro League. This match was declared as the most important derby in Asia and 22nd most important derby in the world in June 2008 by World Soccer magazine.[1][2][3] It is considered one of the world's most intense derbies.[4]
History
[edit]The first derby match between the teams took place on April 5, 1968, at Amjadieh Stadium, where the game finished as a scoreless draw. At the time, Esteghlal was known as Taj SC. Both clubs were relatively young . The rivalry between Shahin and Taj was transferred to its current stage when the Shahin club had to cease operations due to poor relations with the IFF.
Over time, the rivalry became more heated and club fans began attaining collective identities. By the mid-1970s Persepolis was seen as a working class club, while Taj was viewed as a club close to the ruling establishment and supported by the upper class of Iranian society.
Due to the sensitive nature of the matches, fan violence has occurred several times. In minor cases, fans break chairs or throw garbage at the field, but in some cases, fans have stormed the field of play, physical fights between opposing teams and fans have broken out, and public property has been destroyed.
Ever since 1995, federation officials have invited foreign referees to officiate the game to ease fan and player suspicions of referee bias. This occurred after the events of the 39th derby (see below).
Azadi Stadium has been the stadium where most of the matches took place, but Amjadieh Stadium (now Shiroudi) in Tehran and Sahand Stadium in Tabriz have all hosted the game at least once.
Hassan Rowshan from Esteghlal F.C., at the age of 18 years and 357 days is yet the youngest player ever who has scored a goal in the Tehran derby. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Persepolis F.C. On May 25, 1974. Ali Alipour, at the age of 19 years and 185 days, became the youngest Persepolis F.C. player ever to score in Tehran derby. He scored the only goal in their 1–0 victory on May 15, 2010.
Notable matches
[edit]- Persepolis 4 – Taj 1 (February 4, 1972) – This was Persepolis's first win in the derby match, which was also a Goalfull match. First time Persepolis beat its rival with 4 goals.
- Persepolis 6 – Taj 0 (September 7, 1973) – Best ever result in Tehran derby.
- Esteghlal 1 – Persepolis 0 (October 7, 1983) – Iranian television broadcaster IRIB did not air the match so a large number of fans flocked to Azadi Stadium. An estimated 128,000 entered the 100,000-capacity stadium. So many fans were in attendance that some were forced to climb the metal base of the stadium floodlights. None of the derby matches to this date have had a higher attendance and mostly likely never will as the 2002 renovations of the stadium reduced its capacity.
- Esteghlal 2 – Persepolis 2 (January 20, 1995) – In the 39th derby Persepolis was leading in the match by a score of 2–0 until the last 10 minutes of the match. Esteghlal scored 2 goals in quick succession, including one which was a penalty. This angered the Persepolis fans and players who felt the referee was biased towards Esteghlal. Persepolis fans stormed the field, and a number of fights broke out on the pitch between fans and players. After this match it was decided that Iranian referees will no longer be used for the derby.
- Persepolis 3 – Esteghlal 0 (July 11, 1997) – One of the most one-sided derby matches for the two teams. Persepolis dominated the match with scoring 3 goals by Edmond Bezik, Mehdi Mahdavikia and Behnam Taherzadeh. In addition to this 3 goals, Persepolis also hit the post bar for 3 times. Persepolis won Esteghlal 2 times back and forth in this league season and won championship at the end.
- Persepolis 2 – Esteghlal 2 (December 29, 2000) – The game was extremely sensitive as Mehdi Hasheminasab had left Persepolis in the off-season for Esteghlal as Ali Parvin kicked him out because he was scared Hasheminasab would break his record so he left and after leaving Persepolis fans hit Hasheminasab’s mom harshly. Behrouz Rahbarifar opened up the scoring in minute 56, while Mohammad Navazi tied the game up at the 67th minute. Some thought the game would be over when Hasheminasab scored a late goal at minute 86, but Ali Karimi saved Persepolis scoring a goal at minute 89 to please the red fans. During the game Esteghlal's goalkeeper Parviz Broumand and Persepolis striker Payan Rafat were constantly insulting each other. This eventually led to Broumand punching Rafat in the face and giving him a black eye. A massive fight broke out between the players. After the match hooligans went on a rampage. They destroyed 250 city buses and damaged multiple shops. Three players from each side were arrested along with 60 fans for their behavior.
Statistics
[edit]Matches
[edit]Head to head
[edit]As of 5 December 2025, there have been 106 competitive first-class meetings between the two teams since the first league meeting in 1969. In all 99 official competitive meetings since 1968, Esteghlal has won 23 and Persepolis 29.
| Tournament | Matches | Esteghlal wins | Draws | Persepolis wins | Esteghlal goals | Persepolis goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iranian Leagues | 77 | 18 | 35 | 24 | 69 | 84 |
| Iranian Hazfi Cup | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Iranian Super Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | – |
| Tehran Competitions | 15 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 9 |
| Total Official Matches | 99 | 23 | 47 | 29 | 87 | 99 |
| Friendlies and Exhibitions | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 |
| Grand Total | 106 | 26 | 51 | 29 | 95 | 104 |
Head-to-head ranking in Iranian Leagues (1970–2025)
[edit]| P. | 71 | 72 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 90 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 13 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 |
• Total: Esteghlal with 16 higher finishes, Persepolis with 24 higher finishes (till end of the 2024–25 Persian Gulf Pro League)
Stadiums
[edit]- As of 5 December 2025
Since the first match in 1968, Tehran Derby matches have been held in 5 stadiums, including 3 outside Tehran. The following table shows the details of the stadiums that hosted the Tehran Derby.
| Tehran Derby stadiums | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Results | Notes | ||
| Esteghlsl | Draws | Persepolis | ||
| Shahid Shiroudi Stadium | 8 | 6 | 3 | The home stadium of both teams until 1971, it hosted many Tehran Derby matches. Its primary name was Amjadieh. |
| Total: 17 | ||||
| Azadi Stadium | 18 | 42 | 25 | The home stadium of both teams since 1971, it hosted more Tehran Derby matches than any other stadium so far. Its primary name was Aryamehr. |
| Total: 85 | ||||
| Azadi Stadium (Bandar Abbas) | 0 | 1 | 0 | The second leg between the two teams in the 1994–95 season was held at this stadium without any fans. because fans stormed the field in the previous game. |
| Total: 1 | ||||
| Yadegar-e Emam Stadium (Tabriz) | 0 | 1 | 0 | The home stadium of Tractor. The first leg between the two teams in the 2002–03 season was held at there Because the Azadi pitch was being renovated. |
| Total: 1 | ||||
| Imam Khomeini Stadium (Arak) | 0 | 1 | 1 | The home stadium of Aluminium. The first legs between the two teams in the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons were held at there due to the Azadi seats was under renovation. |
| Total: 2 | ||||
Records
[edit]Friendly matches are not included in the following records unless otherwise noted.
Players
[edit]Goal scorers
[edit]- Players in bold are still active for Esteghlal or Persepolis.

League = "Iranian Leagues" ; Cup = "Hazfi Cup" ; Region = "Tehran Competitions" ; Other = "Friendlies" or "Exhibitions"
Top scorers by competition
[edit]| Competition | Player | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iranian Leagues | Persepolis | 6 | |
| Iranian Hazfi Cup | Esteghlal | 2 | |
| Tehran Province League | Esteghlal | 3 | |
| Persepolis Esteghlal |
3 |
Most consecutive goalscoring
[edit]| Player | Club(s) | Consecutive matches | Total goals in the run | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persepolis | 3 | 1970–71 Tehran Province League | 1971–72 Local League (second leg) | ||
| 1998–99 Azadegan League (first leg) | 1998–99 Hazfi Cup (final) | ||||
| Esteghlal | 2009–10 Persian Gulf Cup (first leg) | 2010–11 Persian Gulf Cup (first leg) | |||
Most appearances
[edit]- Players in bold are still active for Esteghlal or Persepolis.

| Apps | Player | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Persepolis | |
| 19 | Esteghlal Persepolis | |
| 18 | Persepolis | |
| Esteghlal | ||
| Esteghlal | ||
| Persepolis | ||
| 17 | Esteghlal | |
| Esteghlal | ||
| 16 | Persepolis | |
| Persepolis | ||
| Esteghlal | ||
| Esteghlal | ||
| Esteghlal | ||
| Persepolis | ||
| Persepolis |
Goalkeeping
[edit]Most clean sheets
[edit]
| Player | Club(s) | Period | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esteghlal | 2005–07, 2011–14, 2015–19 | 9 | |
| Esteghlal Persepolis |
1990–93 1994–2001 |
8 | |
| Persepolis | 2016–20, 2022–24 | 7 | |
| Esteghlal | 1969–75, 1980–86 | 5 | |
| Persepolis | 1980–92 | 5 | |
| Persepolis | 2012–15 | 4 |
Most consecutive clean sheets
[edit]| Player | Club(s) | Consecutive matches | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persepolis | 4 | 1995–96 Azadegan League (second leg) | 1998–99 Azadegan League (first leg) | |
| Persepolis | 4 | 2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup (first leg) | 2013–14 Persian Gulf Cup (second leg) | |
| Esteghlal | 4 | 2012–13 Persian Gulf Cup (first leg) | 2013–14 Persian Gulf Cup (second leg) |
Hat-tricks
[edit]

A hat-trick is achieved when the same player scores three goals in one match. Listed in chronological order.
| Sequence |
Player | No. of goals |
Time of goals | Representing | Final score |
Opponent | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 3 | 50', 86', 92' | Persepolis | 6–0 | Esteghlal | 13th derby | |
| 2. | 3 | 82', 83', 92' | Persepolis | 3–2 | Esteghlal | 75th derby |
Braces
[edit]A Brace is achieved when the same player scores two goals in one match. Listed in chronological order.
| Sequence |
Player | No. of goals |
Time of goals | Representing | Final score |
Opponent | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2 | 43', 90' | Persepolis | 4–1 | Esteghlal | 9th derby | |
| 2. | 2 | 40', 87' | Esteghlal | 2–0 | Persepolis | 11th derby | |
| 3. | 2 | 45', 56' | Persepolis | 6–0 | Esteghlal | 13th derby | |
| 4. | 2 | 11', 62' | Esteghlal | 3–1 | Persepolis | 17th derby | |
| 5. | 2 | 15', 34' | Persepolis | 2–1 | Esteghlal | 22th derby | |
| 6. | 2 | 12', 52' | Persepolis | 3–0 | Esteghlal | 28th derby | |
| 7. | 2 | 7', 46' | Persepolis | 2–2 | Esteghlal | 73th derby | |
| 8. | 2 | 95', 99' | Esteghlal | 3–0 | Persepolis | 74th derby | |
| 9. | 2 | 5', 35' | Persepolis | 4–2 | Esteghlal | 83th derby | |
| 10. | 2 | 24', 52' | Esteghlal | 2–2 | Persepolis | 92nd derby | |
| 11. | 2 | 16', 89' | Persepolis | 2–2 | Esteghlal | 99th derby |
Most successful coaches in derbies
[edit]Friendly matches are not included in the following records unless otherwise noted.
| Rank | Head coach | Club | Matches | Win | Draw | Lost | Winning rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteghlal | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 40% | |
| 2 | Esteghlal | 18 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 33% | |
| 3 | Persepolis | 26 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 23% | |
| 4 | Persepolis | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 50% | |
| 5 | Esteghlal | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50% | |
| 6 | Persepolis | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 50% | |
| 7 | Persepolis | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 25% | |
| 8 | Esteghlal | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 21% | |
| 9 | Persepolis | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66% | |
| 10 | Persepolis | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66% |
General performances
[edit]Trophies
[edit]
|
| Esteghlal | Competition | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
| Regional | ||
| 13 | Tehran Province League | 6 |
| 4 | Tehran Province Hazfi Cup | 2 |
| — | Tehran Tournament | 1 |
| — | Espandi Cup | 1 |
| 1 | Tehran Super Cup | — |
| 18 | Aggregate | 10 |
| National | ||
| 9 | Iranian Leagues | 16 |
| 8 | Iranian Hazfi Cup | 7 |
| 1 | Iranian Super Cup | 5 |
| 1 | Iran Championship Cup | — |
| 19 | Aggregate | 28 |
| Continental | ||
| 2 | Asian Club Championship | — |
| — | Asian Cup Winners' Cup | 1 |
| 2 | Aggregate | 1 |
| 39 | Total aggregate | 39 |
General information
[edit]| Titles | Esteghlal | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
| Club name after establishment | Docharkhe Savaran Sport Club | Persepolis Sport Club |
| Founding date | 26 September 1945 | Club: 22 November 1963 Football team: 21 March 1968 |
| Stadium | Azadi Stadium | |
| Capacity | 78,116 | |
| Number of seasons in Iranian Leagues | 41 (1 relegated) |
41 (1 withdrew due to national duties) |
| Most goals scored in a season in Iranian League | 70 (2008–09) | 56 (1971–72, 1998–99) |
| Most points in a season in Iranian League | 68 (2021–22) | 68 (2023–24) |
| National Double wins (Iranian League and Iranian Hazfi Cup) |
— | 3 |
| Regional Double wins (Tehran Province League and Tehran Hazfi Cup) |
1 | 1 |
| Domestic Combined Double Wins (National Competitions and Regional Competitions) |
2 | 1 |
| International/Domestic Double wins (Asian Cup Winners Cup and Tehran Province League) |
— | 1 |
| Domestic Combined Treble Wins (Iranian Hazfi Cup, Tehran League and Tehran Hazfi Cup) |
— | 1 |
| Most Consecutive Iranian League trophies | — | 5 times in a row (Glut) |
| Most Consecutive Iranian Hazfi Cup trophies | — | 2 times in a row (Brace) |
| Most Consecutive Tehran League trophies | 4 times in a row (Poker) | 5 times in a row (Glut) |
Awards
[edit]IFFHS award
[edit]The IFFHS Asian Player of the Year is an annual prize presented by International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). It had originally been the predecessor of the AFC Player of the Year, but was revived in 2020.
| Award | Esteghlal | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd | 0 | 1 |
| 3rd | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 |
AFC award
[edit]The AFC Player of the Year is an annual prize presented by Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is awarded to the Asian player who has the best performance at AFC club(s) in a calendar year.
| Award | Esteghlal | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd | 0 | 2 |
| 3rd | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 2 |
Best Footballer in Asia is an annual association football award organized and presented by Titan Sports. It is awarded to the player who had the best performance for Asian football during the calendar year.
| Award | Esteghlal | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 |
Iranian Leagues performances awards
[edit]| Award | Esteghlal | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot | 7 | 10 |
Players who played for both clubs
[edit]Over the years, a number of players have played for both of the heavily supported clubs. Switching sides often angers fans, and players who have done so are heavily booed and mocked in and out of the stadium. When Mehdi Hasheminasab joined Esteghlal, Persepolis fans booed and swore at him so loudly that he covered his face with his hands to hide his tears.
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Referees
[edit]IPL referees
[edit]| Rank | Referees | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | |
| 2 | 6 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 5 | 2 | |
Other notable referees
[edit]
Markus Merk
Kim Young-Joo
Sándor Puhl
Jamal Al Sharif
Omer Al Mehannah
Abdul Rahman Al-Zeid
Rudolf Scheurer
Jack Taylor
Gallery
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Worlds Greatest Derbies". bigsoccer.com.
- ^ "World Soccers' 50 Greatest Derbies". groups.google.com.
- ^ "World Soccers' 50 Greatest Derbies". nnseek.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-10.
- ^ "90tv.ir | وبسایت رسمی برنامه ۹۰ - روزنامه اسپانیایی: دربی تهران یکی از داغ ترین دربی های دنیا". Archived from the original on 2017-05-04.
- ^ YJC, خبرگزاری باشگاه خبرنگاران | آخرین اخبار ایران و جهان (July 1, 1398). "گل شهرآورد ۹۰ به نام بازیکن جوان پرسپولیس ثبت شد". fa.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- The battle of Tehran FIFA
- "Football, blood and war" The Observer, 18 January 2004, accessed 11 October 2006
- "The Red 'Victors' and the 'Independent' Blues" FIFA Magazine, 31 October 2002, accessed 11 October 2006
- (in Persian) "59 بازی حاصل 37 سال رقابت سرخ و آبی"[permanent dead link] Fars News Agency, 8 March 2006, accessed 11 October 2006
- (in Persian) "پرسپوليس ، استقلال از نگاه آمار" Aftab Yazd, 8 March 2006, accessed 11 October 2006
- (in Persian) "در حاشيه ي بازيهاي سرخابي ازگذشته هاي دورتا امروز" Tebyan.net, 2 November 2005, accessed 11 October 2006