1. Overview
Ali Gholizadeh is an Iranian professional footballer recognized for his dynamic play as a winger and forward. His career began in the youth ranks of Saipa F.C. in his home country, where he quickly rose to the senior team. After establishing himself in Iran, Gholizadeh moved to European leagues, playing for R. Charleroi S.C. in Belgium and briefly on loan at Kasımpaşa S.K. in Turkey, before joining Lech Poznań in Poland. Internationally, he has represented Iran at various youth levels and is a key member of the senior national team, participating in major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup.
2. Early life and career start
Ali Gholizadeh's football journey began with his birth and youth career in Ardabil, Iran, where he honed his skills within the Saipa F.C. youth setup before making his professional debut and establishing himself with the club's senior team.
2.1. Birth and youth career
Ali Gholizadeh Nojedeh was born on March 10, 1996, in Ardabil, Iran. He began his football journey within the youth setup of Saipa F.C., a prominent club in Iran. He was part of the Saipa youth levels from 2007 to 2012, building the technical foundation for his professional career.
2.2. Saipa F.C.
Gholizadeh was promoted to the first team of Saipa F.C. by coach Engin Firat. He made his professional debut for Saipa as a substitute in the final fixture of the 2013-14 Iran Pro League season against Saba Qom F.C.. He spent five seasons with the club, steadily improving his performance. In the 2017-18 Persian Gulf Pro League season, he was a standout player, scoring six goals in 28 appearances. His impressive performance earned him the prestigious title of Iranian Young Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season. Overall, he made 71 appearances for Saipa, scoring 8 goals across all competitions.
3. Club career
Gholizadeh's professional club career has seen him play across several leagues, showcasing his abilities in both Iranian and European football environments.
3.1. R. Charleroi S.C.
On May 30, 2018, Ali Gholizadeh made a significant move to European football, joining Belgian First Division A club Charleroi. He was joined by fellow Iranian player Omid Noorafkan. Gholizadeh quickly adapted to the Belgian league, scoring his first goal for the club on November 25, 2018, in a league match against Lokeren. He became a core part of Charleroi's attack, often collaborating effectively with teammates like Ryota Morioka. His consistent performance led Charleroi to extend his contract until June 2024 in January 2020. During the 2020-21 season, his strong performances led to him being nominated for AFC Player of the Week. In total, he made 134 appearances for Charleroi, scoring 21 goals across all competitions.
3.2. Kasımpaşa S.K. (loan)
On February 2, 2023, Gholizadeh was loaned to Süper Lig club Kasımpaşa in Turkey. The loan agreement included an option for Kasımpaşa to purchase him permanently. During his loan spell, he made four appearances but did not score any goals.
3.3. Lech Poznań
On July 10, 2023, Polish Ekstraklasa side Lech Poznań announced the signing of Ali Gholizadeh on a three-year contract. The transfer fee was reportedly a club record, approximately 1.80 M EUR. His tenure at Lech Poznań was initially marked by challenges, as he suffered a knee injury in March that prolonged his recovery. Although he was initially expected to debut in August, his recovery kept him out until October 31, 2023. He eventually made his debut for Lech Poznań in the 2023-24 Polish Cup round of 32, entering the pitch in the 65th minute of a 4-0 away win over Zawisza Bydgoszcz. However, on April 1, 2024, in a goalless draw against Stal Mielec, Gholizadeh suffered another knee injury that required surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. In his first season in Poland, he made a total of 13 appearances across all competitions, without scoring or providing an assist. He also made one appearance for Lech Poznań II.
4. International career
Ali Gholizadeh has been a consistent presence in the Iranian national football setup, representing his country at various youth levels before becoming a key player for the senior team.
4.1. Youth national teams
Gholizadeh has represented Iran across multiple youth categories. He was a part of the Iran U17 squad that participated in the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship and the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. For the U17 team, he made 13 appearances and scored 4 goals. He was later invited to the Iran U20 by coach Ali Dousti Mehr for preparations for the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship, making one appearance and scoring one goal. He also represented the Iran U21 (2 appearances, 1 goal) and Iran U23 (3 appearances, 1 goal).
4.2. Senior national team
Gholizadeh made his debut for the senior Team Melli on March 17, 2018, in a friendly match against Sierra Leone, where he impressively scored two goals. In May 2018, he was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, though he was not included in the final tournament squad. Four years later, in November 2022, he was selected by coach Carlos Queiroz to be part of Iran's final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was also part of the Iran squad that competed in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, where they reached the semi-finals. As of November 19, 2024, Gholizadeh has earned 40 caps for the senior national team, scoring 6 goals.
5. Career statistics
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Saipa | 2013-14 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2015-16 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2016-17 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 1 | |||
| 2017-18 | Persian Gulf Pro League | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 6 | |||
| Total | 67 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 8 | ||
| Charleroi | 2018-19 | Belgian First Division A | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
| 2019-20 | Belgian First Division A | 22 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 25 | 4 | |||
| 2020-21 | Belgian First Division A | 34 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 37 | 8 | ||
| 2021-22 | Belgian First Division A | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 8 | |||
| 2022-23 | Belgian First Division A | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 1 | |||
| Total | 134 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 23 | ||
| Kasımpaşa (loan) | 2022-23 | Süper Lig | 4 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Lech Poznań | 2023-24 | Ekstraklasa | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | |
| 2024-25 | Ekstraklasa | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 3 | |||
| Total | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 30 | 3 | |||
| Lech Poznań II | 2023-24 | II liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 233 | 32 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 249 | 34 | ||
5.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | |||
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 6 | |
5.3. International goals
Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 17 March 2018 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | Sierra Leone | 2-0 | 4-0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 4-0 | |||||
| 3. | 20 November 2018 | Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar | Venezuela | 1-1 | 1-1 | |
| 4. | 3 June 2021 | Al Muharraq Stadium, Arad, Bahrain | Hong Kong | 1-0 | 3-1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5. | 7 September 2021 | Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar | Iraq | 3-0 | 3-0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6. | 16 November 2021 | King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan | Syria | 3-0 | 3-0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
6. Personal life
Ali Gholizadeh is married to fellow Iranian footballer Yasaman Farmani. The couple got married in February 2019.
7. Honours
Individual
- Iranian Young Player of the Year: 2017-18