In 1998, he made a historic move to Bayern Munich, one of Europe’s biggest clubs. While he was not a constant starter, training and playing alongside world-class stars like Oliver Kahn, Lothar Matthäus, and Mehmet Scholl boosted his reputation. He won the Bundesliga title in 1999 with Bayern, becoming one of the first to lift a European league trophy. From there, he joined Hertha Berlin, where he played Champions League football and scored against some of Europe’s strongest clubs, including AC Milan and Chelsea.
These moments cemented his place as a true trailblazer for Asian footballers in Europe. Ali Daei’s international career is legendary. Representing Team Melli (national team) from 1993 to 2006, he became the country’s most reliable and iconic striker. He scored 108 international goals, holding the world record for most goals in men’s international football for nearly two decades. He helped qualify for the 1998 World Cup, ending a 20-year absence from the tournament, in one of the most emotional moments in the nation’s football history.
