Fifa World Cup group B: England vs. Iran [Preview]

The Week – LONDON, The pressure will be on the Three Lions to start their campaign with a win.

England get their World Cup campaign underway on Monday when they take on Iran in the opening match of group B. Gareth Southgate’s team come into the fixture on the back of a poor run of form in 2022, but they will be looking for three points at the Khalifa International Stadium.

The Three Lions enter the World Cup “under a cloud of negativity” for the first time during Southgate’s six-year tenure, said Jonathan Gorrie in the London Evening Standard. But “to their credit”, Southgate’s England have “never been a team to judge outside of tournament football”.

Having qualified for the World Cup for the third time in a row, Iran aren’t “no minnows” though, said Dan Ripley in the Daily Mail. Ranked 20th in the world, Carlos Queiroz’s team “have the ability” to cause “problems” for the Three Lions.

This will be the first ever meeting between England and Iran in men’s international football. They are in group B with the United States and Wales.

Match facts

Who: England vs. Iran
What: Fifa World Cup group B matchday one
When: Monday 21 November 2022
Where: Khalifa International Stadium, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar

The stadium

Located in Ar-Rayyan, west of Doha, the Khalifa International Stadium was originally built in 1976 and redeveloped for the World Cup. Six group games will be played at the 45,416-capacity venue as well as one round of 16 fixture and the third/fourth-placed play-off match.

Team news

After being one of the “shock” names in Southgate’s 26-man squad, James Maddison was the only England player to train away from the group on arrival in Qatar. The Leicester City playmaker has struggled with a knee injury sustained against West Ham. Kyle Walker has ruled himself out of the Iran game as he recovers from a groin issue, but said he will be “ready to go” for the other two group games.

Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz could be without Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun, who has not played since the start of October because of a groin issue. This could see Porto’s Mehdi Taremi leading the attack against England.

Squads

England

Head coach: Gareth Southgate
Key player: Harry Kane
One to watch: Bukayo Saka
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Benjamin White (Arsenal), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), John Stones (Man City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Conor Coady (Everton, on loan from Wolves), Luke Shaw (Man Utd)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (West Ham), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Man City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Man City), James Maddison (Leicester City)

Iran

Head coach: Carlos Queiroz
Key player: Sardar Azmoun
One to watch: Ali Gholizadeh
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Amir Abedzadeh (Ponferradina), Seyed Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan)
Defenders: Ehsan Hajsafi (AEK Athens), Morteza Pouraliganji (Persepolis), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan), Milad Mohammadi (AEK Athens), Hossein Kanaanizadegan (Al Ahli), Shojae Khalilzadeh (Al Ahli), Sadegh Moharrami (Dinamo Zagreb), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Abolfazl Jalali (Esteghlal)
Midfielders: Ahmad Noorollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Saman Ghoddos (Brentford), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis), Saeid Ezatolahi (Vejle), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis), Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi), Ali Karimi (Kayserispor)
Forwards: Karim Ansarifard (Omonia Nicosia), Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen), Mehdi Taremi (Porto) Fifa

Predictions

England are “hardly the most entertaining side around” as it is, said Gorrie in the London Evening Standard. Southgate’s team are “expected to win” and it’s “hard to imagine” the game proving much more than attritional. Prediction: England 1 Iran 0.

All the pressure “will be on Southgate’s side”, said Ned Holmes on RadioTimes.com. And this will “certainly suit their opponents” in the group B opener. It just “wouldn’t be England in a major tournament” if they didn’t make things “a bit difficult for themselves” initially, but “come through at the last”. Prediction: England 2 Iran 1.

Up against the highest-ranked Asian side, England’s “spluttering frontline” may come under “even more scrutiny” in what could be a tough start to the World Cup, said Grey Whitebloom on 90min.com. Prediction: England 1 Iran 1.