Background: Performance management and evaluation play a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of sports organizations. Despite the considerable body of articles published in this field over the past three decades in Iran, no comprehensive systematic review has yet been conducted to provide an in-depth analysis of these scholarly outputs.

Objective: This study aims to conduct a systematic content analysis of performance management and evaluation articles published in all Iranian scientific-research journals in sports management from their inception to 2025, reviewing research trends, methodologies, and gaps.

Methods: A systematic review with quantitative-qualitative content analysis was employed. A total of 248 relevant articles published between 2009 and 2025 were analyzed using a 16-variable checklist across four dimensions: bibliographic, author, methodological, and content characteristics. Coding reliability was confirmed with an inter-coder agreement of 87%.

Findings: The publication trend from 2009 to 2025 showed exponential growth, peaking between 2021 and 2023. The journals Organizational Behavior Management in Sport Studies, Journal of Sport Management, and Sport Management and Development had the highest shares. Methodologically, 68.5% of articles were quantitative, 18.1% mixed-method, and 13.4% qualitative. The most significant finding was the absence of a standard or indigenous performance evaluation model in 58.1% of articles. Among articles with models, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) was the most prevalent (30.8%). Female authorship comprised 34.5% and male 65.5%. The average number of authors per article was approximately three. The University of Tehran, Kharazmi University, and the University of Guilan were the most productive. Applied objectives dominated 90.3% of articles. The average number of references per article was 34 (54.3% Latin, 45.7% Persian).

Conclusion: Quantitative growth is accompanied by three challenges: (1) predominance of quantitative methods and scarcity of qualitative research; (2) lack of an indigenous model in more than half of articles; and (3) concentration of scientific output in three universities. These challenges may lead to repetitive and non-applicable knowledge. Conducting qualitative and longitudinal studies, localizing models, and ensuring a balanced distribution of research opportunities are recommended.