Ali Daei

International goal machine

Iran's captain Ali Daei celebrates on the shoulders of Iranian civilians after Iran won its 2006 World Cup qualifier game against Bahrain and secured a place for the next games in Germany, 08 June 2005 at Azadi stadium in Tehran. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE

Puskas and Pele step aside for no other striker has been so prolific on international duty as Iran's remarkable skipper Ali Daei, who passed the 100 mark during the World Cup 2006 qualifying campaign.

Iran's captain Ali Daei (L) watches his header flies over Japan's Makoto Tanaka during the Asian Cup Group D match 28 July 2004 in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing. Japan and Iran drew 0-0 at full-time.AFP PHOTO/GOH CHAI HIN

Even at 36, the former Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin marksman was still hammering goals home when the Islamic Republic qualified for their third World Cup in June 2005.

Four of his eight qualifying goals came against Laos in November 2004, taking Daei's historic career tally to 102 in his 133rd match.

He had already overtaken Hungary's Ferenc Puskas as the all time top international goal scorer in December 2003, with his 86th strike for Iran in a match against Kuwait.

Precious metal

Daei was born into a large family in the chilly Ardabil region of Azerbaijan and despite his father's early opposition to football he played for local clubs before winning a scholarship to study metallurgy at Tehran University in 1988.

In the Iranian capital, his free time role as a second division striker earned him a move to Bank Tejarat where he set a record of 27 goals in 30 matches in the 1991-1992 season and was the first division's top marksman three seasons in a row.

USA ans Iran's teams pose together 21 June at the Gerland stadium in Lyon, central France, before their 1998 Soccer World Cup Group F match. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO PASCAL GEORGE

And some 20 goals for Iran in 1996 attracted the attention of newly promoted Bundesliga outfit Arminia Bielefeld, where he spent a fruitful 1997-98 season ahead of Iran's second World Cup appearance at France 1998.

By his standards he had an average World Cup, failing to score in the three first-round ties, but he went home satisfied thanks to Iran's 2-1 win over arch rivals the United States.

Further afield

Bayern Munich had seen enough to fork out around 4 million euros for his services but with Carsten Janker and Giovane Elber on the books, his performances were rare as Ottmar Hitzfeld's side won the German title in 1999.

Hertha BSC Berlin Iranian striker Ali Daei (L) vies with Chelsea back Celestine Babayaro 03 November 1999 in a Champions League match at Stamford Bridge.(ELECTRONIC IMAGE)

His frustration led to a move to Hertha Berlin, where in 1999 he scored two goals against Chelsea in a Champions League match and whom he helped to successive League Cup wins in 2001 and 2002.

After a two-year spell with UAE outfit Al Shabab he went back to Iran where he is now captain of Saba Tehran.

Daei is preparing for his post football career with an already successful football shirt franchise and a Tehran street is scheduled to be named after him when he hangs up his boots after Germany.