With less than a hundred days away from January's AFC Asian Cup 2019, and the-AFC.com continues its series of articles to determine the all-time best AFC Asian Cup side.
There are 10 candidates for the spots at the middle of the park.
Iran has not reached the AFC Asian Cup final since 1976, yet the last time Team Melli earned a place in the semi-final, Ali Karimi was its talisman.
Karimi bagged five goals in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, leading Iran to third place in the competition. His goals included an unforgettable hat-trick against Korea Republic in the quarter-final.
The midfielder was named Asian Player of Year and was included in team of the tournament in the same year, earning a move to German giants Bayern Munich.