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| Organising bodies | Persian Gulf Pro League |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 (as first tier) 2001 (as second tier) |
| Country | Iran |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Number of clubs | 18 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Persian Gulf Pro League |
| Relegation to | League 2 |
| Domestic cup | Hazfi Cup |
| International cup | AFC Champions League Two |
| Current champions | Fajr Sepasi Shiraz (2nd title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Persepolis (4 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) | IRIB |
| Website | league1football |
| Current:2025–26 | |
TheAzadegan League (Persian:ليگ آزادگان,Lig-e Âzâdegân), also known asLeague 1 (Persian:لیگ یک,Lig-e Yek), is the second highest division of professionalfootball in Iran. It was the top-level football league in Iran from its foundation in 1991 until 2001, when thePersian Gulf Pro League was established.
Azadegan League operates on a system of promotion and relegation. Each year, the top finishing teams in the Azadegan League are promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League, and the lowest finishing teams are relegated toLeague 2.
Since 2016, the league comprises 18 teams. The winner and the runner-up of the Azadegan League are automatically promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League. The bottom three teams in the league are relegated to League 2. In the past, the format and number of teams were changed for various times.
Before the 1970s, Iran did not have an official national football league. Most clubs participated in championships of their city or province. In 1970, theLocal League was created. The league included teams from all Iran in different qualifying tournaments. In 1972, theTakht Jamshid Cup was founded as the national league and included teams from all over the country.
Due to theIslamic Revolution and theIran–Iraq War, the Takht Jamshid Cup was dissolved and also the lower leagues were unorganized. In 1989 theQods League was created as the national football league.Esteghlal were the first national champion sincePAS Tehran in1978. After the season the Qods League was not continued.
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | PAS Tehran | Esteghlal |
| 1992–93 | PAS Tehran | Persepolis |
| 1993–94 | Saipa | Persepolis |
| 1994–95 | Saipa | Esteghlal |
| 1995–96 | Persepolis | Bahman |
| 1996–97 | Persepolis | Bahman |
| 1997–98 | Esteghlal | PAS Tehran |
| 1998–99 | Persepolis | Esteghlal |
| 1999–2000 | Persepolis | Esteghlal |
| 2000–01 | Esteghlal | Persepolis |
In 1991 the Azadegan League was formed as the top flight of Iranian football. The league was named as Azadegan League in honor of the Iranianprisoners of war who were released.Azadegan meansthe liberated inPersian. The league started with a format of 12 teams in the firstseason. In the1992–93 Azadegan League season the league changed its format. 16 clubs participated in two groups of eight teams.PAS Tehran were the champions in both seasons.[1]Esteghlal relegated for the first time in their history in 1993. Before the start of the1993–94 season, the league changed its format again. 14 teams participated in one group.Saipa won the Azadegan League title, sitting three points of runners-upPersepolis. Only one year later the league format was changed again. 24 clubs participated in two groups of 12 teams. Saipa defended their title in final against Esteghlal.
Prior to the start of the1995–96 Azadegan League season, the league changed its format again.[2] 16 teams participated in one group until 1999.Persepolis were the champions in1995–96,[3]1996–97[4] and1998–99,[5] whileEsteghlal became the champion in the1997–98 season.[6] In 1999 the league was reduced to 14 teams. Persepolis won the1999–2000 Azadegan League season, sitting seven points clear of rival Esteghlal.[7] The2000–01 season was the last year of the Azadegan League as the top-level football league of Iran. Esteghlal became the champion in a league of 12 teams.[8]
After theIran Pro League was established as the professional football league of Iran, Azadegan League was declared as the second-highest professional league in theIranian football league system. Esteghlal Ahvaz won the2001–02 Azadegan League season and promoted to Iran Pro League. AlsoSanat Naft Abadan promoted to the Iran Pro League. 22 clubs participated in two groups of 11 teams including a final stage for the best four teams. The format was changed into a classic league of 16 teams for the next two seasons.Shamoushak Noshahr became the champion in2002–03, whileSaba Battery won the league title in the2003–04 season.
Once more the league changed their format in 2004. Between the2004–05 and2007–08 Azadegan League season, 24 clubs played in two groups of 12 teams. AfterShahid Ghandi winning the league in 2004–05,Mes Kerman became the champion in the2005–06 season.Sanat Naft Abadan, the third-ranked team in 2004–05, criticized theIranian Football Federation due to incidents in the final stage. In the2006–07 Azadegan League season,Pegah andShirin Faraz became the champions of the league, whileTractor failed once again for promotion. Also, Sanat Naft Abadan promoted automatically to the Persian Gulf Cup because of the 2004–05 Azadegan League promotion controversy.
AfterPayam Mashhad winning the title in the2007–08 Azadegan League season, the number of teams was increased to 28 before the start of the2008–09 season. They played in two groups of 14 teams until 2013.East Azerbaijan clubTractor returned finally back to the Persian Gulf Cup by winning the2008–09 season alongsideSteel Azin.Shahrdari Tabriz andNaft Tehran were the champions in the2009–10 season, beforeDamash winning the league in2010–11.Paykan won the league title2011–12, whileGostaresh andEsteghlal Khuzestan winning the league one year later. AlthoughShahrdari Tabriz could win their group, they had to relegate due to match-fixing.
The number of teams was reduced in the next two seasons. 26 clubs participated in2013–14, while 24 teams played in the2014–15 season.Padideh won the title in 2013–14 after a victory overNaft Masjed Soleyman in the league final. One season later,Foolad Novin could win the league after they beatSiah Jamegan in final. Due to the fact that Foolad Novin is the reserve team ofFoolad Khuzestan, they could not promote to thePersian Gulf Pro League. Instead of Foolad Novin,Esteghlal Ahvaz was allowed to promote.
Before the start of the2015–16 Azadegan League season, they returned to a classic league format. 20 clubs participated in 2015–16, before the number of teams were reduced to 18 one season later.Paykan won the 2015–16 season, sitting seven points clear ofMachine Sazi.
Like in the 2016–17 season,Nassaj was also involved in a dramatic season finish in the2017–18 Azadegan League. At the last matchday, five teams had the chance to promoted.Naft Masjed Soleyman drew 2–2 withMes Rafsanjan and won the league, while Nassaji defeatedRah Ahan 6–0 in Tehran'sTakhti Stadium and became runners-up with 64 points thanks to a better goal difference thanKhooneh be Khooneh.[9]
In the past, the format and number of teams were changed for various times. Since 2016, the league comprises 18 teams. Over the course of a season, which runs annually from July to the following May, each team plays twice against the others in the league, once at home and once away, resulting in each team competing in 34 games in total. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the league table by points gained, then goal difference, then goals scored and then their head-to-head record for that season. At the end of the season, the top two teams are promoted to thePersian Gulf Pro League and the bottom three teams are relegated toLeague 2. Furthermore, all teams in the Azadegan League can participate in theHazfi Cup.
| Number of teams | Period |
|---|---|
| 12 | 1991–92,2000–01 |
| 16 (two groups) | 1992–93 |
| 14 | 1993–94,1999–2000 |
| 24 (two groups) | 1994–95,2004–05 until2007–08,2014–15 |
| 16 | 1995–96 until1998–99,2002–03 until2003–04 |
| 22 (two groups) | 2001–02 |
| 28 (two groups) | 2008–09 until2012–13 |
| 26 (two groups) | 2013–14 |
| 20 | 2015–16 |
| 18 | since2016–17 |
Notes:
1Saba Qom was formerly known asSaba Battery
2Shahid Ghandi Yazd was known asTarbiat Yazd between 2006 and 2015
3Rahian Kermanshah was formerly known asShirin Faraz
4Steel Azin was formerly known asEkbatan
5Tractor was formerly known asTractor Sazi
6Padideh was known asShahr Khodrou between 2019 and 2021
| Team | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Persepolis | 4 (1995–96,1996–97,1998–99,1999–2000) | 3 (1992–93,1993–94,2000–01) |
| Esteghlal | 2 (1997–98,2000–01) | 4 (1991–92,1994–95,1998–99,1999–2000) |
| PAS Tehran | 2 (1991–92,1992–93) | 1 (1997–98) |
| Saipa | 2 (1993–94,1994–95) | — |
| Bahman | — | 2 (1995–96,1996–97) |
Notes:
1Saba Qom was formerly known asSaba Battery
2Shahid Ghandi Yazd was known asTarbiat Yazd between 2006 and 2015
3Rahian Kermanshah was formerly known asShirin Faraz
4Steel Azin was formerly known asEkbatan
5Tractor was formerly known asTractor Sazi
6Padideh was known asShahr Khodrou between 2019 and 2021
| Pos. | Club | Seasons | Matches | Win | Draw | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Champions | Runners-up | Promoted | Relegated | Best Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nassaji Mazandaran1 | 19 | 494 | 172 | 152 | 170 | 526 | 540 | −14 | 665 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2nd |
| 2 | Mes Kerman | 13 | 384 | 159 | 126 | 99 | 426 | 305 | +121 | 603 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1st |
| 3 | Sanat Naft | 17 | 417 | 154 | 139 | 124 | 478 | 427 | +51 | 601 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 4 | Aluminium Arak2 | 16 | 436 | 143 | 148 | 145 | 455 | 465 | −10 | 577 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2nd |
| 5 | Malavan3 | 14 | 404 | 143 | 144 | 117 | 401 | 347 | +54 | 567 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1st |
| 6 | Fajr Sepasi | 13 | 390 | 145 | 131 | 114 | 427 | 329 | +98 | 566 | 2 | — | 3 | — | 1st |
| 7 | Tractor Sazi | 16 | 392 | 143 | 131 | 118 | 448 | 414 | +34 | 560 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1st |
| 8 | Machine Sazi | 17 | 463 | 129 | 146 | 188 | 470 | 616 | −146 | 533 | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2nd |
| 9 | Mes Rafsanjan | 13 | 367 | 133 | 129 | 105 | 430 | 344 | +86 | 528 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1st |
| 10 | Gol Gohar | 12 | 333 | 120 | 121 | 92 | 399 | 337 | +62 | 481 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1st |
| 11 | Persepolis | 9 | 222 | 122 | 71 | 29 | 368 | 167 | +201 | 437 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 1st |
| 12 | Payam Mashhad4 | 12 | 305 | 102 | 106 | 97 | 353 | 350 | +3 | 409 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 1st |
| 13 | Esteghlal | 9 | 224 | 108 | 77 | 39 | 328 | 194 | +134 | 401 | 2 | 4 | — | 1 | 1st |
| 14 | PAS Tehran | 10 | 250 | 94 | 106 | 50 | 304 | 227 | +77 | 388 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1st |
| 15 | Damash Gilan5 | 10 | 263 | 105 | 73 | 85 | 290 | 252 | +38 | 388 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 16 | Esteghlal Ahvaz | 13 | 330 | 90 | 109 | 131 | 352 | 429 | −77 | 379 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 1st |
| 17 | Iranjavan | 11 | 300 | 89 | 103 | 108 | 317 | 347 | −30 | 370 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2nd |
| 18 | Niroye Zamini | 12 | 300 | 89 | 92 | 119 | 283 | 333 | −50 | 359 | — | — | — | 4 | 3rd |
| 19 | Saipa | 9 | 250 | 83 | 106 | 61 | 287 | 244 | +43 | 355 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1st |
| 20 | Sepahan | 9 | 236 | 87 | 79 | 70 | 250 | 230 | +20 | 340 | — | — | — | 1 | 3rd |
| 21 | Rayka Babol6 | 7 | 238 | 80 | 87 | 71 | 243 | 221 | +22 | 327 | — | — | — | — | 5th |
| 28 | Esteghlal Khuzestan | 6 | 186 | 72 | 62 | 52 | 202 | 141 | +61 | 278 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1st |
| 34 | Zob Ahan | 7 | 184 | 60 | 71 | 53 | 217 | 204 | +13 | 251 | — | — | — | 1 | 3rd |
| 35 | Kheybar Khorramabad | 5 | 172 | 59 | 64 | 49 | 189 | 158 | +31 | 241 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1st |
| 41 | Pars Jonoubi Jam | 4 | 134 | 53 | 46 | 35 | 130 | 115 | +15 | 205 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1st |
| 42 | Paykan | 4 | 110 | 55 | 35 | 20 | 157 | 90 | +67 | 200 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | 1st |
| 43 | Khooshe Talaei | 4 | 134 | 49 | 46 | 39 | 151 | 125 | +26 | 193 | — | — | — | — | 4th |
| 47 | Arman Gohar Sirjan | 4 | 134 | 49 | 39 | 46 | 157 | 157 | 0 | 186 | — | — | — | — | 3rd |
| 52 | Foolad | 5 | 128 | 45 | 36 | 47 | 146 | 157 | −11 | 171 | — | — | 1 | — | 3rd |
| 54 | Havadar15 | 3 | 98 | 42 | 32 | 24 | 135 | 99 | +36 | 168 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2nd |
| 63 | Chooka Talesh | 5 | 142 | 30 | 43 | 69 | 130 | 229 | −99 | 133 | — | — | — | 3 | 6th |
| 65 | Esteghlal Mollasani | 3 | 100 | 26 | 47 | 27 | 97 | 112 | -15 | 125 | — | — | — | — | 8th |
| 69 | Shams Azar Qazvin | 2 | 66 | 32 | 18 | 16 | 104 | 59 | +45 | 114 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1st |
| 71 | Shahrdari Astara | 3 | 100 | 27 | 32 | 41 | 75 | 99 | −24 | 113 | — | — | — | — | 11th |
| 77 | Mes Shahr-e Babak | 2 | 66 | 20 | 31 | 15 | 54 | 43 | +11 | 91 | — | — | — | — | 7th |
| 83 | Pas Hamedan | 2 | 66 | 15 | 26 | 25 | 43 | 54 | -11 | 71 | — | — | — | 1 | 10th |
| 95 | Navad Urmia | 1 | 32 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 45 | — | — | — | — | 7th |
| 96 | Chadormalou Ardakan | 1 | 32 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 32 | 31 | +1 | 45 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2nd |
| 100 | Be'sat Kermanshah | 1 | 32 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 38 | — | — | — | — | 10th |
| 2025–26 Persian Gulf Pro League | |
| 2025–26 Azadegan League | |
| Dissolved |
Notes:
Only league matches, Play-offs are not included in the all-time table
1Nassaji Mazandaran was deducted three points in the2012–13 season
2Aluminium Arak was formerly known as PAS Arak, Shensa Arak, Hamyari Arak and Shahrdari Arak
3Malavan was deducted six points in the2018–19 season
4Payam Mashhad was deducted three points in the2010–11 season
5Damash Gilan was formerly known as Esteghlal Rasht and Pegah Gilan
6Rayka Babol was formerly known as Khooneh be Khooneh
| Season | Average | Highest attended club | Club average | Lowest attended club | Club average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | 3,075 | Tractor | 9,385 | Niroye Zamini | 319 |
| 2009–10 | 2,667 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 11,833 | Foolad Novin | 192 |
| 2010–11 | 2,733 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 12,769 | Sanati Kaveh | 188 |
| 2011–12 | 2,350 | Naft Masjed Soleyman | 9,091 | Sanati Kaveh | 200 |
| 2015–16 | 2,539 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 8,931 | Parseh Tehran | 120 |
| 2016–17 | 2,650 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 10,333 | Rah Ahan | 188 |
| 2017–18 | 2,287 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 12,941 | Machine Sazi | 247 |
Notes:
Matches with spectator bans are not included in average attendances
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Week | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Tractor | 2–0 | Aluminium Hormozgan | 20,000 | 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08) | 26 | Sahand |
| 2009–10 | Nassaji | 4–1 | Damash | 15,000 | 13 November 2009 (2009-11-13) | 6 | Vatani |
| 2010–11 | Gostaresh | 1–0 | Aboumoslem | 30,000 | 9 May 2011 (2011-05-09) | 26 | Sahand |
| 2011–12 | Nassaji | 0–0 | Naft MIS | 15,000 | 5 April 2012 (2012-04-05) | 24 | Vatani |
| 2015–16 | Machine Sazi | 3–0 | Mes Rafsanjan | 15,500 | 10 May 2016 (2016-05-10) | 37 | Sahand |
| 2016–17 | Sepidrood | 3–2 | Nassaji | 20,000 | 1 May 2017 (2017-05-01) | 34 | Dr. Azodi |
| 2017–18 | Rah Ahan | 0–6 | Nassaji | 23,000 | 29 April 2018 (2018-04-29) | 34 | Takhti Tehran |
| League competitions | |
|---|---|
| Cup competitions | |
| Defunct competitions | |
| National teams | |
| Lists and categories | |
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