Mehdi

Career Story

An ancient country, rich in history and charm, where extraordinary peoples, kingdoms and empires have alternated over the millennia, and where nights are filled with the wonders of the atmosphere of the East and the dreams of its inhabitants. This is Iran, the country of Mehdi Taremi, the Nerazzurri’s new striker.

Taremi was born on 18 July 1992 in Bushehr, a port city that overlooks the Persian Gulf. Mehdi grew up with the example of his father, Alishah, a professional footballer. He spent his days with him, dividing his time between sea fishing and playing with the ball, which accompanied him during hot Iranian afternoons. Just like Sinbad the Sailor, the protagonist of one of the folktales in One Thousand and One Nights, Mehdi would look out to sea while dreaming of wonderful adventures and becoming a footballer.

At the age of ten, in 2002, he joined the youth sector of Bargh Bushehr, where he remained until 2006 before moving to Iranjavan, the biggest club in his home city. Taremi was a young striker hoping to reach the level of his idols, a source of inspiration for him: they were O Fenômeno Ronaldo and Ali Daei, the legendary Iranian attacker who scored 108 goals for Iran. In 2014, the latter, who had become a coach, decided to bring Mehdi to Persepolis, despite the fact that he had never played for a truly top-rate side. Then, Taremi’s career took off.

During his time at the team based in Tehran, Mehdi scored 55 goals in 112 matches across three and a half seasons, winning the league twice, the Iranian Super Cup once and the top goalscorer award on two occasions. These numbers led to a move away from Iran: in January 2018, he signed for Qatari side Al-Gharafa. There, he played alongside Nerazzurri legend Wesley Sneijder, with whom he won the Qatari Stars Cup in 2019 before departing for his biggest adventure.

Indeed, he headed to Europe and, more specifically, the Portuguese top flight. First, he spent a year at Rio Ave, finishing as the Primeira Liga’s top scorer in 2019/20, and then he joined Porto. Mehdi reached new, incredible heights with the Dragões: across four seasons, he bagged 91 goals and won the league, the Portuguese Super Cup (x2), the Portuguese Cup (x3) and the Portuguese League Cup. He also made his Champions League debut in 2020/21, a campaign that saw him score a bicycle kick against Chelsea and, thanks to that wonderful finish, win the UEFA Goal of the Season award.

The first Iranian in Inter’s history, Mehdi has become an iconic figure for Iran, for whom he made his debut on 11 June 2015. He’s scored 50 goals in 85 matches for his country, who he represented at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Notably, he bagged a brace against England in Qatar.

Technique, character and the desire to take on new challenges, just like Sinbad the Sailor: Mehdi Taremi’s Nerazzurri adventure is now beginning.