If you had never heard of dalrapan, you probably have now. Why? Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand. Team Melli’s number one has joined the list of unknown goalkeepers having a stormer at this year’s World Cup.
Seven saves against Belgium in their second group game put a spotlight on him, none more impressive than his point blank save from Maxim De Cuyper at close range. Some people probably know the name already.
He is the only goalkeeper that has stopped Cristiano Ronaldo from scoring a World Cup penalty. He made that save in his first world Cup appearance back in 2018 in a 1-1 draw against Portugal, denying the Portuguese legend from twelve yards.
In his formative years shepherding for his family in the Zagros mountains, Beiranvand would play dalrapan – a traditional Iranian game that involved throwing large stones off the sides of a mountain – and this would later go on to help his upper body development as a goalkeeper.
He grew up as the eldest child of a Kurdish nomadic family caring for sheep until they settled down in Sarab-e Yas, where he picked up football to the chagrin of his father who did not support this dream, seeing it as a waste of time. He started off a striker, before moving between the He took matters into his own hands, running away from home in his early teenage years to Tehran, Iran’s capital.
It definitely didn’t get easier from there. Working odd jobs like street cleaning, washing cars as well as a pizzeria gig, could only help young Alireza so much. Going from place to place looking for shelter at night became a norm while going to various clubs hoping for tryouts.
He finally got noticed at Naft Tehran and joined their academy at 16, before making his debut for the senior team in 2011 and spent five years there before moving to Persepolis and winning four consecutive league titles and reaching the AFC Champions League final in 2018.
One year stints at Antwerp in Belgium and Boavista in Portugal followed before he went back home rejoining Persepolis in 2022 and winning two more league titles. In July 2024, he joined Azerbaijani side Tractor SC and won the Gulf Pro League title in his first season, totalling his league title count to seven.
He got his first call up to the national team in April 2014 but won his first of 89 caps in January 2015. Beiranvand got his first of two Guinness World Records while playing for Iran – longest distance on a throw (61.0026 metres) – against South Korea in October 2016.The second being for the longest drop kick (78.014 metres) while playing for Persepolis in April 2019 against fellow Iranian side, Zob Ahan.
But his shot stopping is also as impressive as his powerful throwing, as proved by his performances for Iran in his third World Cup so far. It earned him the ‘Wall of Persia’ nickname. Only a head injury against England prevented him for being available for all group games back in 2022.
Otherwise, he has been an ever present for Iran in the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups.Yet statistics alone cannot explain Alireza Beiranvand.
Every spectacular save carries the echoes of a childhood spent in the mountains. Every powerful throw reflects countless hours playing a traditional game that few outside Iran had ever heard of before this tournament.Shepherd boy; homeless dreamer; Guinness World Record holder and now, a World Cup hero.
The hands that once hurled stones across the Zagros Mountains are now protecting the hopes of an entire nation. Safe and strong hands forged from dalrapan that his people can count on when available.
