TEHRAN - After two rounds of the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Elite, Iran’s lone representatives, Tractor, find themselves struggling in eighth place in the 12-team West Zone table, undefeated, yet unconvincing.

Their latest goalless draw against Al Wahda of the UAE marked the second consecutive match without a win, and the mood in Tabriz, much like the broader sentiment in Iranian football, is growing increasingly frustrated.

This is not just about Tractor. The draw at home, in a match they were widely expected to win, adds another chapter to Iran’s disturbing record in Asian competition.

No Iranian club have won a match in the continent’s top-tier competitions for 11 consecutive games, a streak that includes teams like Persepolis, Esteghlal, Sepahan, and now Tractor. Six draws, five defeats, no victories! The numbers are too clear to be defended with excuses.

Tractor’s performance so far is particularly disappointing given their favorable draw. While Saudi clubs like Al Hilal and Al Ittihad are drawn in Group of Death, Tractor dodged the Saudi giants and found themselves in a group with comparatively beatable UAE and Qatari opponents. The expectation was clear: qualification should be the minimum. And yet, what we’ve seen is a team lacking urgency, ambition, and, quite critically, a Plan B.

The finger of blame must partially point to head coach Dragan Skocic. In their match against Al Wahda, despite an ineffective attack and mounting pressure, Skocic bafflingly refused to make a single substitution. Whether it’s tactical rigidity or mistrust in his squad depth, the result is the same: a team unable to adapt mid-game, often flatlining when it matters most.

The lack of progress at the club level mirrors the trajectory of Iran’s national team. With recent failures to beat teams like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the sense is that Iranian football, once a continental powerhouse, is becoming increasingly irrelevant on the Asian stage.

The decline is undeniable. Just a few years ago, Iranian teams were serious contenders. Today, they’re being outplayed not just by powerhouses like Al Hilal, but by mid-tier sides and, in some cases.

The AFC Champions League Elite was meant to showcase the best of the best. Tractor’s presence should be a point of pride for Iranian football. Instead, it’s a sobering reminder of just how far the standards have fallen.