World Cup group B: England vs. Iran preview, predictions and starting XIs

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.

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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
• Kick-off time: 1pm (all times GMT)

How to watch on TV in the UK

BBC One and BBC iPlayer will show the match live, with coverage beginning at midday. Presenter Gary Lineker is joined in the studio by experts Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand and Vincent Kompany.

Captains won’t wear OneLove armbands

It’s been confirmed that the captains of group B rivals England and Wales and five other European nations will not wear the OneLove armband in Qatar. The skippers, including England’s Harry Kane and Wales’s Gareth Bale, had planned to wear the armband to “promote diversity and inclusion”, said the BBC. But it’s now been decided that the armband won’t be worn because of a threat from Fifa that captains could face an instant yellow card.

A joint statement from the Football Associations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland said that Fifa has been “very clear” that it will impose sporting sanctions if captains wear the armbands on the field of play. “As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in Fifa World Cup games.”

Team news and starting XIs

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has been given a starting role for England’s opener, ahead of Man City’s Phil Foden. Harry Maguire also starts in defence as Southgate goes with a 4-3-3 formation. Kyle Walker and James Maddison are not involved in the matchday squad.

Porto striker Mehdi Taremi will lead the attack for Iran as Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun is not fit enough to start.

• England starting XI: Jordan Pickford; Luke Shaw; John Stones; Harry Maguire; Kieran Trippier; Declan Rice, Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham; Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane
• Iran starting XI: Ali Beiranvand, Sadegh Moharrami, Milad Mohammadi, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Majid Hosseini, Ehsan Haji Safi, Karimi Ali, Ahmad Noorollahi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Morteza Pouraliganji, Mehdi Taremi
  

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.

Despite Iran “probably being stronger than many anticipate”, England are “still justifiably heavy favourites”, said David Segar on The Analyst. According to “our supercomputer’s prediction model”, the Three Lions have a “72.2% chance” of opening with a win, while the draw is rated at 18.1%. It would be a “moment to remember” should Iran “pull off an upset”, but Queiroz’s men have “just a 9.7% chance of victory”.

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.

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

Group B fixtures

Monday 21 November

• England vs. Iran (Khalifa International Stadium; 1pm; BBC)
• USA vs. Wales (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium; 7pm; ITV/S4C)

Friday 25 November

• Wales vs. Iran (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium; 10am; BBC/S4C)
• England vs. USA (Al Bayt Stadium; 7pm; ITV)

Tuesday 29 November

• Wales vs. England (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium; 7pm; BBC/S4C)
• Iran vs. USA (Al Thumama Stadium; 7pm; BBC)