Ali Daei record is timeless: how it came to be?

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals for Ireland to become the top scorer at the national team level in history.

We have long followed Ronaldo chasing Iran's Ali Daei record of 109 goals. But we hardly talk about the Iranian striker himself.

Family

Ali Daei was born in Ardabil, Northern Iran. Parents didn't want to make a footballer out of their son.

Father generally forbade Ali to play and insisted that the boy needed a classical education. Ali's mother saved his football career.

"I would leave home without my football uniform and my mother would hand it over to me as contraband so that I could play," Daei told the New York Times in 1998.

Still, disobeying your father in the family is not an option. Ali finished school and went to university. According to one version, in 1988, he applied to the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran (as his father wanted) and failed. Daei went to another institute, studied there for a year, and returned to his first.

The start of the national career

Along with his studies, Daei played in the Iranian national team. At the end of 1992, he became the national team's prominent forward. He nearly took the national team to the 1994 FIFA World Cup (he scored four goals in five games). As with any big sports event, the result was tough to predict. For those who decide to try betting for the first time bonuses at bookmaker ratings are a big help. But even had Iran qualified, Ali would not have come to America.

After university, he was drafted into the army (instead of moving to the Japanese championships). The guy was not allowed out of the country.

In 1996, Daei escaped to Qatar's Al Sadd and tore into the Iranian national team. It was an abnormal year: 22 goals in 18 games.

Despite his status as a rival, the Iranian forward has already been lured to Europe. PSV, Birmingham, and Fenerbahce all wrote about interest in the late 90s. But Daei made his way to Arminia, a team struggling to survive in the German championship.

Daei did not pull the club out: 7 goals in 25 games and relegation from last place. On the other hand, he pulled his national team through to the '98 World Cup. Iran finished second in the qualifying group after Saudi Arabia.

A 1-1 draw in Tehran against Australia with Viduka, Kewell, and Bosnich. And a triumphant 2-2 draw in Melbourne was pulled late in the second half after a goal from Ali Daei.

New challenges and farewells

Before the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Daei moved to Bayern. The Munich club was tempted by his seven goals for Arminia and the Iranian's remarkable performance in the two-match clash with Australia.

At 34, Daei broke Pushkash's record for goals for a national team and, at 37, went to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In 2000, Daei scored 20 goals in 19 appearances for Iran, and in 2003 he broke Puskas' record for goals for the national team with his 85th goal. The latest, his 109th goal for the national team, was scored by Daei against Costa Rica three months before the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Ali went to the 2006 World Cup, aged 37, but failed to score. Iran finished last in the group with Portugal, Mexico, and Angola. The match against Angola was Daei's farewell for the national team, and he ended his career the following year.