Esteghlal Football Club (, Bâšgâh-è Futbâl-è Esteqlâl), commonly known as Esteghlal (, meaning 'The Independence'), is an Iranian football club based in capital Tehran that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The first team of the capital of Iran, the club was founded in 1945 as The Cyclists (, Dočarxe Savârân) and previously known as Tâj (; meaning 'The Crown') between 1949 and 1979. The club is part of the multisport club Esteghlal of Iran Athletic and Cultural Company ().Esteghlal is the most successful Persian team in Asian competitions. They were the first team to reach 1,000 points in Persian Gulf Pro League.
