Esteghlal Football Club is an Iranian professional football club based in Tehran that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1945 as The Cyclists and was known as Tâj between 1949 and 1979. The club is part of the multisport club Esteghlal Athletic and Cultural Company of Iran. They were the first team to reach 1,000 points in the Persian Gulf Pro League. Esteghlal has won 39 official championship titles in provincial, national and continental cups, making them one of Iran's most decorated clubs.