His international breakthrough came in 1996, when he joined Al Sadd SC in Qatar, where he quickly became one of the league’s top scorers. His success abroad caught the attention of European scouts, and in 1997 he made a historic move to the German Bundesliga, signing with Arminia Bielefeld. Daei’s transfer was groundbreaking — he was among the first Asian players to play at the top level in Europe. His strong performances earned him moves to Bayern Munich (1998–1999) and later Hertha BSC (1999–2002).
While at Bayern, he won the Bundesliga title (1998–99) and the DFB-Pokal, sharing a locker room with stars like Lothar Matthäus, Oliver Kahn, and Mehmet Scholl. Although he didn’t replicate his scoring numbers in Europe, his professionalism, intelligence, and leadership earned the respect of teammates and fans alike. His presence in the Bundesliga helped open doors for future Asian players in European leagues. Ali Daei’s contributions to the Iranian national team (Team Melli) remain legendary. Making his debut in 1993, he quickly became talismanic striker.
