MX23RW : Friday, November 25 22:12:30| >> :120:4319:4319:
[monks data]
Nov 21, 2022 at 1pm UK at Wembley Stadium
England
6 - 2
Iran
Bellingham (35'), Saka (43', 62'), Sterling (45+1'), Rashford (71'), Grealish (90')
FT(HT: 3-0)
Taremi (65', 90+13' pen.)
Jahanbakhsh (25'), Pouraliganji (48')

England vs. Iran: Who could be the key players in World Cup Group B opener?

Ahead of the World Cup Group B opener between England and Iran, Sports Mole looks at who could be the key player for both sides at the contest.

After a relatively uninspiring opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador, England and Iran will look to put on a more entertaining show as Group B gets underway on Monday.

It is the only group at this winter's tournament which sees all four teams ranked inside the top 20 in the world, but England are still firm favourites to top the group.

However, they traditionally do not start World Cups too well, while Iran have been in far better form than their opponents in the build-up to the tournament.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who could be the key players in the contest at the Khalifa International Stadium.



ENGLAND

STAR MAN - HARRY KANE

Harry Kane celebrates scoring for England on September 26, 2022© Reuters

With countless individual accolades to his name but no major team trophy to go alongside them, Harry Kane enters the 2022 World Cup wearing the armband for England and looking to further cement his place in Three Lions folklore.

The 29-year-old has netted 51 goals for his country down the years - only Ellen White (52) and Wayne Rooney (53) have more - so replicating his Golden Boot-winning showing of six goals from the 2018 edition would see the Tottenham man become his nation's all-time leading scorer.

It is easy to forget the stellar start Kane has had to the Premier League season given the form of Erling Braut Haaland and Tottenham's recent struggles, but the England captain still has 11 goals from 14 Premier League games so far this term and is growing restless for a major trophy.

Kane has committed himself to Tottenham for the past couple of transfer windows despite widespread interest from elsewhere, and Bayern Munich will seemingly be the next giants to try their luck as they look to fill the Robert Lewandowski-sized void.

However, any talk surrounding Kane's future or possible contract renewal with Tottenham are on hold for the time being, as the prolific forward seeks to engineer a memorable World Cup campaign for the Three Lions.



IRAN

STAR MAN - MEHDI TAREMI

Iran's Mehdi Taremi celebrates scoring their first goal in September 2022© Reuters

Iran are a team who are focused on keeping clean sheets first and foremost, certainly now that Queiroz has returned to the helm, increasing the burden on their attackers to produce moments of magic to win matches.

While Karim Ansarifard and Sardar Azmoun may have scored more goals for their country than him heading into the World Cup, there is little doubt that Mehdi Taremi is Iran's most in-form attacker and most potent forward at their disposal.

The 30-year-old has bagged 28 goals in only 60 caps for Iran, and has scored 62 times in 114 appearances since joining Portuguese Primeira Liga champions Porto in 2020.

Taremi has proven himself at the highest level by scoring five goals in five Champions League matches already this season, helping the Dragons to top spot in Group B, and Queiroz will be counting on a similarly high level of performance from his main man in Qatar.


ID:500172:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5222:No Data Analysis info
Game History

How you voted: England vs Iran

England
81.5%
Draw
8.3%
Iran
10.2%
1750
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Iran's Mehdi Taremi celebrates scoring their first goal in September 2022
Read Next:
World Cup 2022: Reasons for Iran to be confident of beating England at World Cup
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
World Cup fixtures header 3
Saturday, November 26
 
4pm
Sunday, November 27
 
10am
 
1pm
 
4pm
 
7pm
Monday, November 28
 
10am
Tuesday, November 29
 
3pm
 
7pm
 
7pm
Wednesday, November 30
 
3pm
Thursday, December 1
 
3pm
 
3pm
 
7pm
Friday, December 2
 
3pm
 
7pm
Saturday, December 3
 
3pm
Sunday, December 4
Monday, December 5
Tuesday, December 6
Friday, December 9
Saturday, December 10
Tuesday, December 13
Wednesday, December 14
Saturday, December 17
Sunday, December 18
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal14121133112237
2Manchester CityMan City14102240142632
3Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1586129111830
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs1592431211029
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd148242020026
6Liverpool1464428171122
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton146352319421
8Chelsea146351717021
9Fulham155462426-219
10Brentford154742325-219
11Crystal Palace145451518-319
12Aston Villa155371622-618
13Leicester CityLeicester155282525017
14Bournemouth154471832-1416
15Leeds UnitedLeeds144372226-415
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham154291217-514
17Everton153571117-614
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest153481130-1913
19Southampton153391327-1412
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves15249824-1610

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Match previews - Daily
Transfer Talk Daily
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!