Mehdi Taremi
مهدی طارمی
#9 · Forward · age 33 · (C)
Captain; top scorer; clinical forward
88
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 61
- Career peak
- 100
- League level
- 73
- Competition pedigree
- 98
- International pedigree
- 100
- Longevity
- 73
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Taremi arrives at his third World Cup as captain, top scorer, and tactical centerpiece. Amir Ghalenoei’s Iran is built around getting service into him from wide areas — Jahanbakhsh on the right, Ghoddos through the middle, Mohebi or Ghaedi from the left. With Sardar Azmoun absent from this squad, Taremi carries the goalscoring burden almost alone.
His Inter Milan adventure was difficult, but the move to Olympiacos has revived his minutes and his form. At 33, with 50 international goals, he is on a trajectory to retire as Iran’s all-time leading scorer. A breakout group-stage performance against Belgium or Egypt would also serve as his Champions-League-final redemption arc.
Strengths
- Penalty-area finishing with both feet
- Hold-up play under pressure
- Free-kick taking
Recent form
Olympiacos starter in the Greek Super League and Europa League; remains Iran's lone-striker focal point.
Scored a stoppage-time bicycle kick against Chelsea in the 2020-21 Champions League — voted UEFA's Goal of the Season — while at Porto.