Alireza Beiranvand

1.1. Childhood and Upbringing

Beiranvand was born in the small village of Sarab-e Yas in Khorramabad County, Lorestan Province, Iran, on 21 September 1992. He grew up in a Lor Lak nomadic family. In his teenage years, driven by his ambition to become a professional footballer, Beiranvand ran away from home and moved to Tehran. During this period, he experienced homelessness for some time, surviving by taking on various jobs. He worked at a carwash, specifically focusing on four-wheel drives, where his height of 76 in ^{(194 cm)} proved to be an advantage. He also found employment in a dressmaking factory and a pizza shop to support himself.

1.2. Youth Career

Beiranvand began his football journey at a young age, joining Vahdat FC's youth team in 2007. He then moved to Naft Tehran's youth setup, where he played from 2008 until 2016, developing his skills before making his professional debut.

2.1. Naft Tehran

Beiranvand officially joined the senior team of Naft Tehran in 2010. He made his professional debut in the Hazfi Cup on 25 October 2011, against Damash. Despite links to Persepolis, Naft Tehran's chairman, Mansour Ghanbarzadeh, prevented his departure. In his first year as the primary goalkeeper, Beiranvand played a crucial role in leading the team to a 3rd place finish in the Iran Pro League during the 2013-14 season, securing a spot in the AFC Champions League for the first time in the club's history. On 23 March 2014, he extended his contract with the club until June 2019. Notably, on 24 November 2014, Beiranvand provided an assist in a match against Tractor Sazi by throwing the ball directly into the opponent's half. He continued to be linked with Persepolis in January 2016, but a transfer did not materialize at that time. Beiranvand ultimately left Naft Tehran at the end of the 2015-16 season after his contract expired.

2.2. Persepolis

On 16 May 2016, Beiranvand signed a two-year contract with Persepolis, the league runners-up. In 2017, he extended his contract with the club until 2021. In December 2017, during a match against Foolad, Beiranvand established a Persian Gulf Pro League record by going 718 minutes without conceding a goal, a record later surpassed by Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini. He also recorded 23 clean sheets in 37 matches during the 2017-18 season, ranking him as the second goalkeeper globally for the most clean sheets that season.

His performances in the 2018 AFC Champions League were particularly noteworthy. Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira praised him as "truly a great goalkeeper" who was "the difference" against Al Sadd, making the result possible. He was named the Player of the Week for the semi-final first leg following his strong showing against Al Sadd. He was also named Man of the Match and included in the Team of the Week for the second leg, making numerous crucial saves that helped Persepolis reach the final. His five clean sheets during the competition were the most of any goalkeeper. Beiranvand was reportedly among the candidates for the Asian Footballer of the Year award in 2018, but his exclusion from the final nominations was met with surprise and criticism by Asian football writers. The following season, in the 2018-19 Persian Gulf Pro League, Beiranvand recorded 16 clean sheets, earning him the Golden Gloves award for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall.

2.3. Royal Antwerp

In late July 2020, Jupiler Pro League side Royal Antwerp confirmed the signing of Beiranvand on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, marking his move to European football. He made his debut on 10 December 2020, in a Europa League away match against Tottenham Hotspur.

2.4. Boavista (loan)

On 10 July 2021, Beiranvand joined Primeira Liga side Boavista on a one-year loan deal, which included a purchase option for 1.00 M EUR. He played for Boavista during the 2021-22 season.

2.5. Return to Persepolis

Beiranvand rejoined Persepolis on 31 May 2022, signing a new three-year contract on a free transfer.

2.6. Tractor

On 16 July 2024, Beiranvand transferred from Persepolis to Tractor, signing a one-year deal with the club.

3.1. Youth Levels

Beiranvand represented Iran at several youth levels. He was part of the U-19 team that competed in the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship. Although he contributed to a 2-0 victory against Yemen in the group stage, the team was eliminated. He also played for the U-22 team in the 2013 U-22 Asian Cup qualifiers, helping the team secure qualification for the main tournament.

3.2. Senior Team

In April 2014, Beiranvand received his first call-up to the Iran national football team training camp in South Africa under coach Carlos Queiroz. This opportunity arose when several Sepahan players, including goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi, were unavailable due to AFC Champions League commitments. He was subsequently included in Iran's 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, though he did not make the final cut. On 30 December 2014, Queiroz selected him for Iran's 2015 AFC Asian Cup squad. Beiranvand made his senior international debut in a friendly match against Iraq on 4 January 2015, just before the Asian Cup.

During the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Beiranvand became Iran's starting goalkeeper. In a match against Guam during the second round of qualifiers, he was given a straight red card in the 72nd minute for a foul on Dylan Naputi, forcing defender Ezzatollah Pourghaz to take over goalkeeping duties. In a 2022 FIFA World Cup Asia Qualifiers match against South Korea on October 12, 2021, Beiranvand made a crucial save against Na Sang-ho's late shot, contributing to a draw. Despite this incident, he demonstrated consistent performance, notably conceding only two goals in 10 matches during the final round of qualification, which significantly contributed to Iran's consecutive World Cup qualifications.

3.2.1. 2018 FIFA World Cup

In May 2018, Beiranvand was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and later confirmed in the final squad. As Iran's starting goalkeeper, he played a pivotal role in the team's campaign. In their opening match against Morocco, despite Iran being outplayed, Beiranvand made two crucial saves, helping the team secure a 1-0 victory, their first World Cup win in 20 years. He also performed commendably against European giants Spain and Portugal. In Iran's final group stage match against Portugal, Beiranvand famously saved a penalty kick from Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, contributing to a 1-1 draw. Despite this impressive result, Iran was ultimately eliminated from the group stage on goal difference.

5.1. Awards and Accolades

• Persian Gulf Pro League Best Goalkeeper of the Year: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
• Persian Gulf Pro League Team of the Year: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
• Persian Gulf Pro League Golden Glove: 2022-23
• AFC Champions League Player of the Week: 2018 Semi-final 1st leg
• AFC Champions League Fans' Best XI: 2018
• AFC Champions League OPTA Best XI: 2018
• Iranian Footballer of the Year: 2019
• Asian Footballer of the Year nominee: 2019
• AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2019
• AFC Fans' Best Player of All Time at the FIFA World Cup: 2020
• The Best FIFA Football Awards nominee: 2017

5.2. Guinness World Records

Beiranvand holds two Guinness World Records for his exceptional throwing ability:

• Farthest distance throw of a football**: On 11 October 2016, against South Korea, he achieved a throw of 200 ft ^{(61.0026 m)}.
• Longest football drop kick**: On 17 April 2019, he recorded a drop kick of 256 ft ^{(78.014 m)}.

7.1. Club

7.2. International