Esteghlal Football Club, commonly known as Esteghlal, is a football club based in capital, that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1945 as Docharkheh Savaran and previously known as between 1949 and 1979. The club is part of the multisport club Esteghlal of Athletic and Cultural Company.
Since the beginning of the 1973–74 season, Esteghlal has played its home games at the Azadi which has a seating capacity of 78,116, though it is able to hold more people during important matches. Esteghlal set an attendance record for an Asian Club Championship match in 1999 when 125,000 supporters watched their final. The club is owned and supported by the Ministry of Sport and Youth.
