Since the 1973–74 season, Esteghlal has played its home games at the Azadi, which has a seating capacity of 78,116,[1] though it can hold more people during important matches.

Esteghlal set an attendance record for an Asian Club Championship match in 1999 when 125,000 supporters watched their final against Júbilo Iwata in Tehran.

[citation needed] On 20 September 1945, some young athletes and students including a 23-year-old military officer Parviz Khosravani (first manager of the club), Asghar Navaab (Bicycle Mechanic), Enayat Jananpour (National Sports Organisation staff member), Mirzaee (carpenter) and Khashaaei (bank guard) established a sports club on Ferdowsi Street, Tehran.

Docharkhe Savaran founders and players agreed with the rename of the club to Taj (Persian: تاج; meaning 'The Crown'), in 1949.

TAJ reached the 1974–75 Takht Jamshid Cup the next year, the second official Iranian Football League for Club.

All players not swearing allegiance to the new Islamic government were arrested, brutally beaten and executed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In the next year Esteghlal reached the 1991 Asian Club Championship final match again and lost in penalties to Al-Hilal FC.

The 2002–03 season was one of the worst years in club history, as they finished 9th and were eliminated in the group stage of the AFC Champions League.

His second season proved to be less successful as Esteghlal finished 3rd and failed to qualify to the AFC Champions League.

In 2006 after the departure of Amir Ghalenoi, his assistant and youth team coach Samad Marfavi took over the head-coaching job.

Esteghlal had a disappointing season, finishing fourth, thus failing to secure a spot in the AFC Champions League, as well as only reaching the Round of 16 in the Hazfi Cup with a shock defeat by Fajr Sepasi.

During Ghalenoi's first full and only season in his second stint with Esteghlal, he led the team to an Iran Pro League championship, finishing ahead of Zob Ahan on goal difference.

Samad Marfavi took the reins of Esteghlal for a second time; Marfavi led the team to a 3rd place league finish in the 2009–10 season and also led the team to the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League, losing to Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia 2–3 on aggregate.

After a 0–2 loss to fellow countrymen Sepahan in the Round 16 of the AFC Champions League, Mazloumi was sacked by the club and Amir Ghalenoi took the reins of Esteghlal for a third time.

The year was also marked by advancing to the AFC Champions League semi-finals where they met Korean side FC Seoul.

After a 0–2 away loss in the first leg, Esteghlal faced an uphill task; they returned to Azadi Stadium but eventually lost to FC Seoul 2–4 on aggregate.

To top off Esteghlal's horrendous year, the team failed to reach the AFC Champions League knock-out stage, finishing 3rd in its group.

After Esteghlal's defeat to Zob Ahan in the Hazfi Cup final on 29 May 2016, Parviz Mazloomi was fired and replaced by former player and Naft Tehran's head coach Alireza Mansourian on 1 June 2016.

On 7 February 2017, Esteghlal defeated Qatari club Al Sadd on penalties to advance to the 2017 AFC Champions League group stage.

Esteghlal was defeated by Al Ain 6–1 on quarter final of 2017 AFC Champions League and was eliminated.

Mansourian was the head coach of Esteghlal until 7th week of 2017–18 season of Persian Gulf Pro League.

German coach Winfried Schäfer was appointed as new manager of Esteghlal Tehran on 1 October 2017, replacing Alireza Mansourian.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Key Ali Tajernia Mahmoudreza Babaei Esteghlal has won 38 championship titles in provincial, national and continental cups.

During the trip, Iranian coaches were able to watch matches of Asian women's soccer teams such as South Korea, India and Singapore, held at the venue.