Reza Ghoochannejhad Nournia ( fa, رضا قوچاننژاد نورنیا; born 20 September 1987) is a former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
. He is also known as Gucci in Belgium and Netherlands. Having played for the Netherlands at youth level, he switched to the
Iran national team
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
at senior level. He scored 17 goals in 44 appearances for Iran and participated in the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
s and the
2015 AFC Asian Cup
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the 16th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in Australia from 9 to 31 January 2015. The tournament was ...
.
Early life
Ghoochannejhad was born in
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
, Iran, and emigrated to the Netherlands at the age of four.
Club career
Heerenveen
Ghoochannejhad spent twelve years in the
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
side
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
's academy, rising through the ranks at
Leeuwarden
Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of the ...
clubs LAC Frisia 1883 and
Cambuur
SC Cambuur, also known as Cambuur Leeuwarden, or simply Cambuur, () is a Dutch Association football, football club from the city of Leeuwarden formed on 19 June 1964. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football league sy ...
, before making his senior
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
debut against
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and ho ...
in 2006.
In the summer of 2009, Ghoochannejhad folded his contract with Heerenveen due to his focus on his academic studies at the
Vrije University
The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research ...
of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, studying
jurisprudence
Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...
and
political theory
Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, l ...
.
After meeting
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars (; born 29 March 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer and director of football at Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp FC. He was previously director of football at Ajax. During his football career, he played as a wing ...
, Ghoochannejhad was convinced to sign for the
Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles () are a Dutch professional football club from the city of Deventer. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, having achieved promotion from the second tier Eerste Divisie in the 2020-21 season. The club's h ...
.
Cambuur
In his first game for
Cambuur
SC Cambuur, also known as Cambuur Leeuwarden, or simply Cambuur, () is a Dutch Association football, football club from the city of Leeuwarden formed on 19 June 1964. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football league sy ...
, on 22 January 2010 against
BV Veendam
Sportclub Veendam () was a Dutch professional association football club based in Veendam, province of Groningen. Founded on 4 September 1894 as Look-Out, it became P.J. Veendam in 1909, Veendam in 1910, SC Veendam in 1974, BV Veendam in 1997 a ...
, he scored his first goal after nine seconds for his new team, tying
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...
's record for the fastest goal in the Netherlands.
During his time at Cambuur, he also played as a
winger. On 14 February 2011, Ghoochannejhad scored a
hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
against
FC Emmen
FC Emmen is a Dutch football club based in Emmen, Drenthe. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, after winning the 2021–22 Eerste Divisie title. Founded in 1925, the club entered the professional Eerste Divisie in 1985. I ...
.
Sint-Truiden
In June 2011, Ghoochannejhad transferred to
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden (; french: link=no, Saint-Trond ; li, Sintruin ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, and has over 41,500 inhabitants, which makes it one of the largest cities in Limburg. The muni ...
, scoring his first goal in the
Belgian Pro League
The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...
against
Club Brugge
(), known simply as Club Brugge (in English also: ''Club Bruges''), is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges, Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,062. .
Standard Liège
On 31 August 2012, Sint-Truiden came to an agreement with
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
. Ghoochannejhad joined Standard Liège in January 2013 after signing a three-and-a-half-year deal, while scoring 10 goals in 12 matches in the half-season he remained with Sint-Truiden. The following season, he represented Liège in the
2013–14 UEFA Europa League
The 2013–14 UEFA Europa League was the 43rd season of Europe's secondary club association football, football tournament organised by UEFA, and the fifth season under its current title.
The 2014 UEFA Europa League Final was played between Sevil ...
.
Charlton Athletic
On 30 January 2014, Ghoochannejhad joined
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
side
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
on a two-and-a-half-year deal, becoming the second Iranian after
Karim Bagheri
Karim Bagheri ( fa, ; born 20 February 1974) is an Iranian professional football coach and former player. He played over half of his professional career for Persepolis in the Persian Gulf Pro League. He is an assistant coach for Persepolis and t ...
to play for the Addicks. On 1 February, he made his first appearance for Charlton in a 2–1 defeat away to
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
, where he played the full 90 minutes and hit the bar with a shot on goal in the first half. He made his
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
debut in a 2–1
fifth round
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash th ...
win at
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
on 24 February. He scored his first goal on 1 April in a 1–0 league win at
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
.
Al-Kuwait (loan)
On 6 August 2014, Ghoochannejhad joined
Al-Kuwait on a season-long loan deal. On 15 August, he made his debut as a substitute against
Qadsia SC
) The Royal ( ar, الملكي) The Yellow Castle ( ar, القلعة الصفراء)
, founded = as ''Al-Jazira''
, ground = Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium Hawalli
, capacity = 26,000
, chairman = Khaled Fahad Al Sabah
, manager = Boris ...
in the
Kuwait Super Cup
The Kuwait Super Cup ( ar, كأس السوبر الكويتي) is an annual one-match association football competition in Kuwait organised by Kuwait Football Association (KFA). This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the ...
. On 26 August, he scored his first goal in the
2014 AFC Cup
The 2014 AFC Cup was the 11th edition of the AFC Cup, a association football, football competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for clubs from "developing countries" in Asia. Kuwait SC, Al-Kuwait were the two-time defendin ...
against
Persipura Jayapura
Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Jayapura, or Persipura, is an Indonesian football club based in Jayapura, Papua. The club was founded in 1963 and currently competes in the Liga 2. Persipura used to always use the Mandala Stadium as their hom ...
. He scored his first league goal for the club on 30 August in a 1–1 draw against
Al Jahra
Al Jahra ( ar, الجهراء) is a town and city located west of the centre of Kuwait City in Kuwait. Al Jahra is the capital of the Al Jahra Governorate of Kuwait as well as the surrounding Al Jahra District which is agriculturally based. Ency ...
. On 12 September, he scored 4 goals in an 8–1 win over
Al-Sahel
Al-Sahel ( ar, السحل, also transliterated As-Sahel and As-Sehel) is a Syrian village in the An-Nabek District of the Rif Dimashq Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Sahel had a population of 5,677 in t ...
. He then scored a
hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
in 14 minutes in another game for
Al-Kuwait. Ghoochannejhad scored 11 goals in 10 league matches with the club.
Al-Wakrah (loan)
In February 2015, Ghoochannejhad signed a four-month loan deal with
Qatar Stars League
The Qatar Stars League ( ar, دوري نجوم قطر), or the QSL, also called QNB Stars League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level football league in Qatar football league system. Contested by 12 teams, it operates on a system of promotio ...
club
Al-Wakrah
Al Wakrah ( ar, الوكرة, al-Wakra) is the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality in Qatar. Al Wakrah's eastern edge is the shores of the Persian Gulf and Qatar's capital Doha is situated to the city's immediate north. Governed by Sheikh ...
. He scored his first goal on 27 February 2015 against
Umm Salal
Umm Salal (; also spelled Umm Slal) is a municipality in the State of Qatar.
It contains several historic places, such as Barzan Tower. The municipal headquarters Umm Salal is located in Umm Salal Ali, about 10 km from the coast and 15 ...
. Al-Wakrah escaped relegation on the last day and Ghoochannejhad's loan deal expired at the end of the season.
Return to Charlton
In the summer of 2015, Ghoochannejhad announced he would be returning to Charlton Athletic for the 2015–16 season. He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–1
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
victory against
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
side
Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...
. He scored his first league goal of the season on 7 November 2015 in a 3–1 win against
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
. He was released by the south London club on Thursday 19 May 2016 following the end of the 2015–16 season. In total, Ghoochannejhad made 42 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals. He left the club after they got relegated.
Return to Heerenveen
On 22 June 2016, Ghoochannejhad returned to former club
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
with a two-year contract, In his first friendly match with the club he scored twice and also earned an assist. He scored his first and second goal for Heerenveen on 10 September 2016 in a 3–1 victory against
Twente
Twente ( nl, Twente , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germ ...
. He scored also twice in January 2017 in a match against
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag (), commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag (), is a Dutch association football club from the city of The Hague. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation f ...
, it was his second brace of the season and lifted Heerenveen to fourth place in the league. On 22 January 2017, Ghoochannejhad scored a hat-trick in a 4–3 loss against
PSV Eindhoven
Philips Sport Vereniging (; en, Philips Sports Association ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department, whi ...
. In the process he became the first ever Iranian to score a hat-trick in a top flight European league and became the first player to score a hat-trick away to PSV since the 1970s. He finished his first season at Eredivisie with 19 goals and became the third highest goalscorer and Heerenveen's 2016-17 player of the year and took place in Eredivisie 2016-17 team of the year. Ghoochannejhad did not continue his good work in his second season in Heerenveen and finished the season with 7 goals and became Heerenveen's top scorer.
APOEL
Ghoochannejhad signed for
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
club
APOEL
APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") ...
on 23 July 2018 on a two-year contract. He played there for half of a season and scored two goals as well.
Sydney FC (loan)
Ghoochannejhad signed for
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
club
Sydney FC
Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
on loan for six months on 31 January 2019. He made his debut on 8 February against the
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisba ...
and became the first Iranian international in the A-League. He scored his first goal for the club on 1 March against
Adelaide United
Adelaide United Football Club is a professional Association Football, soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club participates in the A-League Men under North American professional sports league organization#Systems ar ...
.
He later scored the winning penalty in the
2019 A-League Grand Final and became the first Iranian to win the title in the Australian
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
.
PEC Zwolle
Ghoochannejhad joined
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
side
PEC Zwolle
PEC Zwolle is a Dutch football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2021–22 season. They have played in the Eredivisie for a total ...
in September 2019.
During his debut, after coming on to the pitch he did a poker against
RKC Waalwijk
RKC Waalwijk () is a Dutch professional football club based in Waalwijk, that is currently competing in the Eredivisie. Its name is derived from 'Rooms Katholieke Combinatie' ('Roman Catholic Combination' in Dutch) and was established as a merger ...
and scored four goals for his team to earn the three points and he became the first Eredivisie player in history to score four goals after coming on as a substitute.
And also the first Iranian to score four goals in one of the top European leagues.
On 22 January 2021, Ghoochannejhad scored three goals after coming on as substitute to make it 3–1 against
Willem II and became the first player in the history of the Eredivisie to achieve a hat-trick twice as a substitute.
In summer 2021, at the end of his two-year contract, he was released by PEC Zwolle.
As of September 2022, he is retired.
International career
![Iran vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Iran_vs._Argentina_match%2C_2014_FIFA_World_Cup_15.jpg)
Ghoochannejhad represented the Netherlands from 2003 to 2007, having played for the
Netherlands U19 national team.
After being invited to the
Iran national team
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
by coach
Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Manuel Brito Leal de Queiroz (; born 1 March 1953) is a Portuguese football coach who currently is the head coach of the Iran national team. He has served as the manager of his native Portugal's national team, the United Arab Emirates, ...
, he made his senior national team debut on 16 October 2012 in Iran's 1–0
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier victory against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, while scoring his first two goals in his third international cap against
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
in a 5–0
Asian Cup qualifier win. On 4 June 2013, Ghoochannejhad scored the lone goal in a
World Cup qualifier against
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
. Days later, he scored against Lebanon in a 4–0 win. He scored the winning goal again in the next match, a 1–0 win against South Korea. This led to Iran's qualification at the top of
their group for the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
.
His goal-scoring streak continued, scoring in each of the
Asian Cup qualifying matches against
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and Lebanon to secure Iran's spot in the
2015 AFC Asian Cup
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the 16th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in Australia from 9 to 31 January 2015. The tournament was ...
as well as becoming the
top scorer of the qualifiers and bringing his tally to six goals in six consecutive competitive international matches.
Ghoochannejhad scored on 5 March 2014 against
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
in a
friendly to bring his record to seven goals in seven matches with a total of nine goals in eleven matches.
![Iran_and_Nigeria_match_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup_2014-06-12_16](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Iran_and_Nigeria_match_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup_2014-06-12_16.jpg)
On 1 June 2014, Ghoochannejhad was called into Iran's
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
squad by Carlos Queiroz.
On 25 June 2014, he scored Iran's only goal of the tournament in the 3–1 defeat against
Bosnia and Herzegovina. He became the first ever
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
player to score at a
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
.
On 30 December 2014, Ghoochannejhad was called into Iran's
2015 AFC Asian Cup squad.
He scored the only goal in the team's final group stage match against the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, ensuring ''Team Melli'' qualified from
Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...
in first place. In the quarter-final match against
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, Ghoochannejhad scored Iran's third equalizer in the 119th minute as they drew 3–3 at
Canberra Stadium
Canberra Stadium (GIO Stadium for commercial reasons) is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sports v ...
and were eventually defeated 7–6 in a
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
.
![Reza Ghoochannejhad Iran I1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Reza_Ghoochannejhad_Iran_I1.jpg)
On 1 September 2016, Ghoochannejhad scored a stoppage time winner in a 2–0 victory against
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
in the final round of Asian World Cup Qualifying.
On 10 November 2016, Ghoochannejhad scored his first Hat-trick in a 8-1 victory against
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
in a friendly match.
In May 2018 he was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
in Russia,
but not played any minutes in the tournament. On 27 June 2018, Ghoochannejhad announced his retirement from international football on his
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
.
Style of play
Ghoochannejhad has been praised mostly for his sense of goal scoring and also his ability to find the right spot in attacking situations. He has been compared to Iranian legend
Khodadad Azizi
Khodadad Azizi ( fa, خداداد عزیزی; born 22 June 1971) is an Iranian football coach and former player who played as a striker.
Club career
After playing for a few clubs in Iran and following his performance in Asia, he moved to Germa ...
.
Outside football
Ghoochannejhad can speak at least four languages including
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
,
French and
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
as his mother tongue and he understands
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
too, he has said that he has also learned
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
.
He is keen on playing musical instruments and he can play violin.
Personal life
Ghoochannejhad is the son of Jalal and Mahin Ghoochannejhad. His uncle, Jabar Ghoochannejhad, is a volleyball coach in
Iranian Volleyball Super League
The Iranian Volleyball Super League (IVSL) is a professional volleyball league in Iran at the top of the Iranian volleyball league system. It was founded in 1975 as the Pasargad Cup, but after the Iranian Revolution it was renamed to the first Div ...
.
Ghoochannejhad married Sarvin Bayat, sister of Iranian actress
Sareh Bayat
Sareh Bayat ( fa, ساره بیات; born 6 October 1979) is an Iranian actress. She is best known for her role as Razieh in the Academy Award-winning ''A Separation'' (2011), for which she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Inte ...
on 30 March 2016 in a private ceremony held in
Imam Reza mosque. The couple have a son named Doran (born 29 January 2018).
He said that he has been a long time supporter of his home town football club,
Aboomoslem, in his interview.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ghoochannejhad goal''.
Honours
SC Heerenveen
*
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
:
2008–09
APOEL FC
*
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
:
2018–19
Sydney FC
*
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
:
2018–19
Individual
*
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
Team of the Season:
2016–17
*
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
Player of the Year:
2016–17
* Scoring
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
fastest goal in the 9th seconds tying
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...
's record.
* First Iranian to score a
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
in Europe.
* First Iranian to score four goals in a single match in Europe.
See also
*
Iranians in the Netherlands
Iranians in the Netherlands form one of the newer and larger populations of the Iranian diaspora in Europe. Iranians in the Netherlands are referred to by hyphenated terms such as Dutch-Iranians, Iranian-Dutch, Dutch-Persian, or Persian-Dutch. S ...
*
List of FIFA World Cup goalscorers
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
References
External links
*
Reza Ghoochannejhadat ''
Voetbal International
''Voetbal International'' (VI) is a Dutch football magazine. It is the oldest Dutch football magazine that is still running.
History and Profile
''Voetbal International'' was established in 1965. VI was one of the founding members of ESM but l ...
''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghoochannejhad, Reza
1987 births
Living people
People from Mashhad
Sportspeople from Mashhad
Iranian footballers
Iran international footballers
Dutch footballers
Netherlands youth international footballers
Association football forwards
Iranian emigrants to the Netherlands
Iranian expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands
Expatriate footballers in Belgium
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in Kuwait
Expatriate footballers in Qatar
Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
Expatriate soccer players in Australia
Iranian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Iranian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Iranian expatriate sportspeople in England
Iranian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
Eredivisie players
Eerste Divisie players
Belgian First Division A players
Belgian First Division B players
English Football League players
Kuwait Premier League players
Qatar Stars League players
Cypriot First Division players
A-League Men players
Go Ahead Eagles players
SC Heerenveen players
FC Emmen players
SC Cambuur players
Sint-Truidense V.V. players
Standard Liège players
Charlton Athletic F.C. players
Kuwait SC players
Al-Wakrah SC players
APOEL FC players
Sydney FC players
PEC Zwolle players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 AFC Asian Cup players
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam alumni
2018 FIFA World Cup players
Sportspeople of Iranian descent
Iranian expatriate sportspeople in Australia
Iranian expatriate sportspeople in Kuwait
People from Quchan