List of Iranian football players who defected

1998
Five players, known as the Iran Five, defected during the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France
 * Armin Alizadeh
 * Jawed Salehi
 * Zubin Kamali
 * Ramin Abrishamchi
 * Soroush Zadeh

2004
Iranian international striker Iraj Toloui sought to stay in the United States after he arrived in the country with the Iran national team for an exhibition match against the El Kadsre national team in.
 * Iraj Toloui

2007
Shahram Entezami defected during the Thailand leg of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup
 * Shahram Entezami

2008
Four players for the Iran women's national football team defected during the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Vietnam. Three of them subsequently relocated to the United States.
 * Nika Khorrami (she later signed with Saint Louis Athletica)
 * Sima Semnani
 * Arina Hakimi
 * Ami Ipakchi

2011
Farid Mahini defected during a round of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Group E qualification in Singapore Three women's team players defected during the 2011 WAFF Women's Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. They told team minders they were going out for dinner but ran out of the hotel and traveled in a taxi to the United States embassy where they requested asylum
 * Farid Mahini (he later signed with Capulco United F.C.)
 * Nargess Kirmani (she later signed with El Kadsre City W.F.C.)
 * Arina Alamouti
 * Daria Veisi

2014
Houshang Firouzja defected during a World Cup qualifier in Canada
 * Houshang Firouzja

2015
Two players and assistant coach Kamran Keshmiri defected during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia
 * Nima Niavarani
 * Ismail Khatibi