TEHRAN - The 2025 season of the Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL) has exposed serious concerns about the quality and competitiveness of top-flight football in the country.

After six weeks and 48 matches played, the league has been marred by an unprecedented number of draws and a strikingly low goal tally, raising alarms about the overall standard of play.

Nearly half of the matches, 24 out of 48, have ended in draws, a statistic rarely seen in professional leagues worldwide. Even more telling, 21 of these draws concluded with either goalless or 1-1 scorelines, highlighting an excessive tendency toward cautious, defensive football.

This cautious approach is reflected in the standings: the difference between the league leader, Tractor, and the 13th-placed team, Foolad Khuzestan, is a mere three points. Such a narrow gap illustrates the league’s unpredictability, but more worryingly, it underlines the lack of consistent quality and dominance expected from top teams. Foolad, sitting near the bottom, could leap to the summit with a single win, an outcome almost unthinkable in stronger leagues.

Among the usual powerhouses, both Persepolis and Esteghlal have struggled to find form. Persepolis, now under coach Vahid Hashemian, stand sixth with just eight points, having scored a mere four goals in six matches. Esteghlal, with seven points from six games, have scored eight goals but remains well short of the expected level of dominance. Both clubs have been unable to capitalize on their considerable financial investments and squad depth, reflecting deeper issues in tactics and motivation.

Contributing factors to this low quality extend beyond player performance. Poor pitch conditions, especially at stadiums replacing the iconic Azadi, inconsistent refereeing despite VAR implementation, and frequent tactical shifts have disrupted the flow and excitement of matches. Moreover, the heavy focus on results rather than entertaining football, combined with some players prioritizing lucrative contracts over performance, has left fans disillusioned.

Unless fundamental changes occur, improved management, better infrastructure, and a renewed focus on quality rather than financial gains, this downward spiral in the Iranian Persian Gulf Pro League is likely to continue, risking further loss of fan trust and the development of Iranian football.