TEHRAN - Alireza Beiranvand, Iran's national team and Persepolis Mo. 1 goalkeeper, has recently shown poor performance and is under pressure at the moment.

The peak of these mistakes was evident in the game against Foolad last Friday, which has left Persepolis fans concerned on the brink of the Tehran derby. Despite Persepolis winning 4-2 against Fooldad, Beiranvand made mistakes on both goals conceded.

Beiranvand joined the national team lineup after the 2015 Asian Cup and has been the No. 1 goalkeeper for Iran in four major tournaments: the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

During this time, he faced tough competition from various rivals like Payam Niazmand and Amir Abedzadeh, but national team coaches, from Carlos Queiroz to Marc Wilmots and Amir Ghalenoei, trusted him. Only during the preliminary stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Croatian coach of national team Dragan Skočić briefly benched Beiranvand, but he quickly regained his place in the national team lineup.

However, Beiranvand has not maintained the stability he had in previous seasons for Persepolis and Team Melli. Furthermore, this continued trend of costly errors could jeopardize his position in the national team.

This season, Beiranvand sparked controversy when he terminated his contract with Persepolis through the Iran Football League Organization and rumors emerged of his possible move to Persepolis' archrivals, Esteghlal. This could have been one of the most controversial transfers in Iranian football in recent seasons, but after a few days, he signed a new contract with Persepolis. However, that incident affected Beiranvand's popularity among the Persepolis fans.

He has made numerous mistakes at the 2023/24 Iran Persian Gulf Professional League season, notably against Zob Ahan, Sepahan, and Aluminum, and especially against Foolad! Similarly, in the national team, despite saving two crucial penalties in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, his overall performance in the tournament was not satisfactory. Particularly in the semifinal match against Qatar, which ended in a 3-2 defeat for Iran, Beiranvand faced significant criticism.

Unlike in the past, Beiranvand is no longer considered the obvious and primary choice for the national team, and the significant safety margin he once felt has diminished.

In light of these circumstances, the coaching staff of the Iranian national team needs to seriously contemplate finding a dependable replacement for Beiranvand. At 31 years old, and considering the fluctuations in his performance, Iranian football has recognized the necessity for both short-term and long-term solutions regarding goalkeeper position of Team Melli.