In 1926 capital XI (selected players from capital Club, Toofan F.C. and Armenian Sports Club) traveled across the border to Baku, USSR, this was the first away football match for a persian team. This capital Select team is the predecessor of national football team.The first match that Team Melli played was on 23 August 1941, away at Kabul in a 1–0 win against British India while homeland’s first FIFA international match was on 25 August 1941, away at Afghanistan.
Homeland won the Asian Cup three consecutive times (1968, 1972, 1976) to which the team has not been able to add since.In 1978, homeland made its first appearance in the World Cup after defeating Australia in capital. Homeland lost two of three group stage matches against the Netherlands and Peru.
