Top facts about Alireza Beiranvand, the Guinness World Record holder

The Iranian professional footballer currently plays as a goalkeeper for the Iranian national team, as well as the Portuguese side Boavista, on loan from Belgian club Royal Antwerp which he joined in July 2020.

One of the most amazing top facts about Alireza Beiranvand is that he represented the Iranian national team at the 2015 and 2019 AFC Asian Cups, and most notably at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he could manage to miraculously save a penalty against Ronaldo.

Likewise, in 2017 he took the honour to become the first Iranian ever to be nominated for an individual prize at The Best FIFA Football Awards.

Not to mention that he has been the best goalkeeper in the Persian Gulf Pro League for four successive seasons from 2014 to 2019 and has also been the Iranian Footballer of the Year in 2019.

It is fascinating to suggest that during the 2017–18 season, he was ranked as the second goalkeeper in the world for the cleanest sheets, with racking up 23 clean sheets in 37 matches.

Above all, just recently he has been given a Guinness World Record for the longest throw (61 m 26 mm) ever in an official football match as he set it during a

qualifying match against South Korea at the Azadi Stadium on Oct. 11, 2016.

Top facts about Alireza Beiranvand that you might need to know

Here is everything there is to know in regards to the top facts about Alireza Beiranvand.

Alireza Beiranvand facts in brief

Bio

• Full Name

  : Alireza Safar Beiranvand

• Popular Name

  : Alireza Beiranvand

General information

• Date of Birth

  : 21 September 1992

• Age

  : 29 Years Old

• Place of Birth

  : Sarab-e Yas, Iran

• Religion

  : Muslim

• Nationality

  : Iranian

• Horoscope

  : Virgo

Physical status

• Height

  : 6 feet 4 inches (1.94 m)

• Weight

  : 85 kg

• Eye colour

  : Dark brown

• Hair Colour

  : Dark

• Build

  : Lean

Personal information

• Marital Status

  : Married

• Spouse

  : Not known, but it is to be said that she is his cousin

• Children

  : Two (A son and a Daughter called Barana Beiranvand and Nazanin Beiranvand)

Football information:

• Profession

  : Football Player

• Position

  : Goalkeeper

• Net Worth

  : Between $2 million and $9 million

• Current Club

  : Boavista (loan)

Alireza Beiranvand childhood

Alireza was born in Sarab-e Yas, Lorestan to a nomad multi-children family. As the oldest child of his family, he had the responsibility to help his father at work.

In

Alireza Beiranvand childhood

, although he was busy with shepherding, he did find some time to play football and Dal Paran which was a game where he had to throw the stones long distance and is not irrelevant to the Guinness World Record he has established.

Then as his family resided for good in Sarab-e Yas, he started playing football regularly with a local club. First, he started to play at a different position rather than a goalie but because of the skills he had put on show at the goal, he became an obvious choice as a goalkeeper while he also had a great passion for this position.

But he had to encounter a big problem and that was his father did not agree with his involvement in football and opposed it strongly.

His father believed that one can not earn a stable income from a professional football career and therefore he tore his son’s sports clothes and threw away his gloves.

That was too much for Alireza, which urged him to make his mind to flee home and move to Tehran in search of a bigger club. He borrowed money from one of his relatives and travelled to Tehran by bus, while he was at least fortunate enough to meet a football coach, Hossein Feiz, on the bus.

Feiz let him train in the local team in return for 200,000 Toman (£30). But unfortunately, the young footballer had not any money or a place to sleep.

So he had to sleep several days in the Azadi Tower, among the gathering of many poor migrants. Yet a young salesman offered him a room at his home and the goalkeeper accepted, and then he decided to walk back to the club where he trained on trial every day.

He also mentioned that once he slept by the club’s door, he noticed the coins that people had dropped for him in the morning as they had thought that he was a beggar. At least he had a delicious breakfast for the first time in a long while.

Then he went on to work in a car wash and, due to his height, he gained mastery at washing SUVs. One day,

turned up to get his car cleaned and although Beiranvand’s colleagues stirred him to speak to the Iranian legend so as to ask for his help in his football progress, he was reluctant to do so.

Because he preferred to find his way on his own while he was ashamed to speak with him and tell him about his condition. After a while, he met a Naft-e-Tehran coach and moved there, being permitted to live in a prayer room at first but, eventually they told him he is not allowed to sleep there anymore.

Then he found a job in a pizza shop to the end of having somewhere to stay at night. Yet, after that his coach came to buy pizza and saw Beiranvand working there, he had to leave the job too.

Therefore he went on to find a job in the clothing factory being allowed to stay overnight where he could sleep there too and after some time he even had to work as a janitor who cleaned streets and parks at night. But the problem was jobs were not permanent and he could not afford an apartment rental with the amount he earned.

Moving from place to place, working at nights, and suffering from injuries, all of these affected his training and when Naft manager saw him training with another club, he did not hesitate to get rid of him.

As a result, he moved to train with Homa while they were reluctant to sign him in as much as the manager who kept him on trial did not deem him good enough for a permanent deal.

When his dream was dying, a beacon of hope came from Naft when they called him back, and he managed to prove his potentials this time.

Soon he made such a great feat that led him to be selected for Iran’s under-23s and then became Naft’s first-team goalie. So he successfully bore every sort of challenge to realize his dream as he once indicated in this regard: ” I suffered many difficulties to make my dreams come true but I have no intention of forgetting them.”

Alireza Beiranvand professional career

While he started to play professional football with Naft Tehran in 2011, his debut occurred in the Hazfi Cup against Damash on 25 October 2011.

Although there were links between him and the red half of Tehran, Persepolis, he was not given permission to leave the club by the chairman of Naft Tehran, Mansour Ghanbarzadeh.

In his first year as the first-choice goalkeeper, he helped them to finish on the 3rd place League and grab a spot in the AFC Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Whereas on 23 March 2014, he promoted his agreement with the club until June 2019, on 24 November 2014, he amazingly managed to provide an assist in their match against Tractor Sazi, when he threw the ball into the opponent's half.

Although he was linked with a transfer to

in January 2016, the move fell through at the last moment and he left Naft at the end of the 2015–16 season following the expiration of his contract.

Thereby on 16 May 2016, he made a two–year contract with league runners-up Persepolis and then in 2017 he promoted his contract with the club until 2021.

In December 2017, in a game against

, Beiranvand amazingly established a League record of going 718 minutes without conceding a goal, yet it was later smashed by Esteghlal goalie Hossein Hosseini.

Likewise, he was called 2018 AFC Champions League semi-final first leg player of the week following his great feat against Al Sadd.

Also, he was was "Man of the match" and with "Team of the Week" 2nd leg following that he saved numerous Al Sadd's chances helping Persepolis to reach the final with his five clean sheets during competition.

Moreover, reportedly he was selected as one of the candidates for the 2018 Asian Footballer of the Year award, and when he was excluded from it, Asian football writers described his exclusion as a big shock and an outrageous and scandalous event.

In the next season, he managed to keep 16 clean sheets in 2018–19 Pro League claiming the Golden Gloves for three Years in a row and four times as a whole.

Then in late July 2020, he made a three-year contract with Jupiler Pro League side Royal Antwerp for an unrevealed fee. Afterwards, on 10 July 2021, he was transferred on loan to

side Boavista on a one-year deal, with a purchase option for €1 million.

On the international stage, he was a member of Iran Under 20 during the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship and was invited to Iran Under 22 by Alireza Mansourian to play in the 2013 AFC U-22 Asian Cup qualification as well.

Then in April 2014, he received a call up to the Iranian national senior team training camp in South Africa by coach

when many Sepahan players like goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi could not attend it due to the AFC Champions League matches.

Likewise, he was chosen in Iran's 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup while he was excluded from Iran's squad for the World Cup, as he had not featured in any match in pre-World Cup friendly matches.

Then again he received a call up into Iran's 2015

squad on 30 December 2014 by Carlos Queiroz and debuted in a friendly against Iraq on 4 January 2015, just prior to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

Moreover, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, the first-choice goalie Alireza Haghighi and left-back Ehsan Hajsafi could not enter Guam, ahead of their fixture due to visa problem and therefore Beiranvand was given his first competitive start for the senior team.

Yet, unfortunately, he was given a straight red in the 72nd minute for a foul on Guam midfielder Dylan Naputi, just less than a minute following that Iran had used up all of their substitutions, and eventually the defender Ezzatollah Pourghaz ended up taking on goalkeeper duties.

In addition, in the final round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Beiranvand became Iran's starting goalkeeper, in the place of Alireza Haghighi, while his name was included in Iran's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, in May 2018.

Above all, one of the most incredible

top facts about Alireza Beiranvand

is that in Iran's last match of the 2018 World Cup, he saved a penalty from

, while Iran drew 1–1 with Portugal.

After that, he became the starting goalkeeper of the Iran squad at the Asian cup 2019 and again came to the spotlight when he saved a penalty from Ahmed Mubarak Al-Mahaijri, in Iran's 2–0 victory over Oman. He also terrifically saved a penalty from the captain of Cambodia, as Iran won 14–0 against Cambodia.

Alireza Beiranvand Guinness World Record

As one of the most significant

top facts about Alireza Beiranvand

, it is necessary to suggest that he picked up the honour of establishing a Guinness World Record for the longest throw ever set in an official football match.

He has been given this record for a great feat he made five years ago, on October 11, 2016, by launching the longest throw ever seen in a professional game of football as it ridiculously travelled three-quarters of the pitch.

This throw that had launched in a match against South Korea, was eventually landed to his teammate after flying a mammoth 61.26m, yet his teammate pulled his effort wide.

You can read the plaque here: "The further distance throw of a football (soccer ball) in a competitive match is 61m 26mm, (200 ft, 1.57in) and was achieved by Alireza Beiranvand (Iran) playing for Iran against South Korea at the Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran on 11 October 2016”.

But it seems that he has expertise in such long throws in as much as he even gained popularity abroad with his throw back in 2014.

That is to say in the light of his childhood game Dal Paran when he threw stones for several years, he has gained mastery in throwing the ball much further than many other goalkeepers.

Apart from his Guinness World Record, his 70-metre assist by throwing the ball into the opponent's half against Tractor Sazi absorbed the foreign media. While even in the 2015 AFC Champions League Round of 16 against Al Ahli, he kicked a throw that reached 60m as well.

Among his other potentials, one can point out to his aerial duels as well as his great athleticism, outstanding shot-stopping, acrobatic dives, and quick reflexes.

Alireza Beiranvand personal life

In regard to top facts about Alireza Beiranvand personal life affairs, it is notable to indicate that he has married his cousin whose name is not revealed yet in as much as he tends to keep his personal life away from the limelight.

But what is apparent is that the couple is blessed with a daughter and a son called Nazanin Beiranvand and Barana Beiranvand.

According to some Persian sources, Alireza was fallen in love with his cousin at a very early age, but his uncle did not agree to their marriage unless Alireza secured a solid source of income for himself with his football profession. Although not much information about

Alireza Beiranvand wife

is available, he undoubtedly loves her very much.

Because when on October 2019, the Iranian government gave female supporters permission to visit football stadiums for the first time, his wife was provided with the opportunity to be present at the match between Iran and

, Alireza indicated as saying “Now my greatest wish has come true. My wife was also in the stadium”, showing how close a relationship he has with his wife.

Alireza Beiranvand net worth and social media

When it comes to top facts about Alireza Beiranvand, it seems that he has adjusted himself to life in Portuguese and has performed rather the same as his performance in Persepolis, notwithstanding his not playing outside of the Gulf region until very recently.

As one of the most popular players to come out of Iran, Alireza Beiranvand net worth is said to be around $2 million to $9 million which is earned through his football profession.

As far as

top facts about Alireza Beiranvand social media

is concerned, he is active on Instagram racking up more than 3.5 million followers with his account of

, sharing posts primarily in the line with his football profession.

Read More:

Follow

for the