Abedzadeh won more than 42 percent of the votes in the six-candidate race. Ali Daei, Ali Parvin, Ali Karimi, Nasser Hejazi and any other player were chosen respectively in the opinion pole.
Abedzadeh nicknamed the “Eagle of Asia” is the former keeper of Esteghlal, Persepolis and the Iranian national football team. He performed well in the 1998 World Cup. His fantastic saves helped Iran attain respectable results in the tournament.