England vs Iran

England’s quest to bring home the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time since 1966 kicks off at Khalifa International Stadium to Asian minnows Iran.

Deemed ‘overwhelming favourites’ to top the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group B, England head into their seventh consecutive final tournament on the back of a dreadful 2022/23 UEFA Nations League campaign (D3, L3). Though they kept hold of their League A status by the skin of their teeth, the ‘Three Lions’ can draw confidence from being the only European nation to have reached the semi-finals in each of the last two major tournaments. Gareth Southgate’s side topped their World Cup qualifying group in an emphatic fashion, going unbeaten in all ten matches (W8, D2) and boasting the best group-stage goal difference for any European qualifier (+36). Yet after drawing a blank in four of their six internationals preceding the Qatar showpiece, England cannot take anything for granted.

On the other hand, Iran looked up the creek without a paddle after they ended 2019 with successive second-round qualifying defeats, yet a managerial shift helped them weather the storm. Dragan Sokcic turned Iran’s fortunes around in the post-pandemic period, leading them to four consecutive second-round victories and eight out of ten fixtures (D1, L1) in round three. However, ‘Team Melli‘ dispatched Sokcic despite his relative success, instead electing former Egypt boss Carlos Queiroz as a better option to guide the team in Qatar. Queiroz had kick-started his second managerial tenure with a three-game unbeaten run (W2, D1) before a 2-0 defeat to Tunisia on the eve of the World Cup. It will be up to him to find a formula to defy Iran’s dreadful record of two wins from 15 World Cup matches (D4, L9).