England defender Kieran Trippier heaped praise on the "unbelievable" Jude Bellingham after he played a starring role in the Three Lions' 6-2 hammering of Iran in their World Cup opener.

Bellingham came straight into England's starting XI for the clash at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday, with Gareth Southgate somewhat catching fans off-guard by naming an attack-minded team.

Their attacking mentality certainly paid off, as did the selection of Bellingham, who opened the scoring just past the half-hour mark with a fine header after a trademark late run into the box, making him England's second-youngest World Cup goalscorer of all time.

While that was the only goal or assist the 19-year-old recorded, Bellingham also played a part in the build-up to Raheem Sterling making it 3-0, and he also released Callum Wilson when the Newcastle United striker set up Jack Grealish's late tap-in.

Bellingham offered drive and purpose to an England midfield often criticised for being too negative, and Trippier was full of admiration.

"Bellingham is an unbelievable player for such a young age," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He is playing at such a high level and he is not afraid. He's got to keep his feet on the ground and keep performing at a high level, like I know he will."

Bukayo Saka also caught the eye for England, scoring two very well-taken goals.

With Bellingham and the Arsenal man both netting, it was the first time in World Cup history that England had two players aged 21 or younger score in a single game, and the impact of the Three Lions' youngsters left Trippier thrilled.

"I'm delighted for them, getting the first goals in the first game," he continued.

"They've all worked so hard. They have great experience for such a young age. Now, it's just about expressing themselves and enjoying it, that's the most important thing.

"I'm 32 years old, and I'm enjoying every game. If I'm playing or not, I will always be ready."

England are next in action against the United States on Friday. Iran face Wales the same day.

Harry Kane says England's players "did their country proud" by opening their World Cup campaign with a commanding 6-2 victory over Iran.

Bukayo Saka scored twice, while Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish were also on target as Gareth Southgate's side recorded their biggest ever win in their opening match at a major tournament. 

Kane, who provided assists for Sterling and Rashford, saluted his team-mates after they made a real statement of intent in Group B at Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.

"Obviously, [it was a] really good start to the World Cup campaign," the Three Lions captain said in a video posted on Twitter.

"Full credit to the boys. It's never easy getting off to a winning start at a major tournament, and to score six goals shows we're in a really good place.

"There's still a lot of work to do. Of course, we know that there's a long way to go. But overall, [it was] really pleasing. 

"Congrats to Jude for his first England goal, no better place to do it. Bukayo [was] on fire with two great finishes.

"Everyone out there today did their country proud. We move onto the next one now. Let's keep it going for the next game."

England will look to build on their winning start when they face the USA at Al Bayt Stadium on Friday, before taking on Wales at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium four days later.

Bukayo Saka savoured a “really special” start to the World Cup after scoring twice in England’s 6-2 thrashing of Iran on Monday.

The Three Lions came into the tournament without a win in six matches, leading to them being consigned to relegation in the Nations League.

But an emphatic Group B victory at Khalifa International Stadium on Monday got them off to a dream start, with Saka on target in each half as Iran were outclassed.

Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish also got on the scoresheet as Gareth Southgate picked up his ninth major tournament victory as England manager, surpassing Alf Ramsey's total.

Saka's stunning display comes after a disappointing end to his Euro 2020 campaign, when he missed a penalty in the shootout defeat to Italy in the final at Wembley.

The Arsenal winger hit back with a superb 2021-22 season, while he has helped the Gunners open up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League heading into the break for the World Cup in Qatar.

Saka told the BBC: "We needed that good start.

"We obviously didn't play the best coming into the tournament, so there was a lot of talk and speculation about our form, but we showed everyone today how much quality we have and what we can do.

"I can't describe the feeling, it's amazing. I'm so happy, I'm so proud, and we got the win as well, so it's just a really special day.

"It's amazing to get the win in the end, but we have to be consistent because we have the next game coming up in a few days and we have to win again."

Saka's response to his Euro 2020 heartbreak was described as "impeccable" by club and country team-mate Aaron Ramsdale last week, and the 21-year-old feels at the peak of his powers, adding: "I feel like I'm in a good place.

"I have the support from the fans and I really feel the love from the fans, the coaching staff and my team-mates. That's all I need.

"I feel good and I'm ready to give 100 per cent. I gave that today and I'll continue to do that every time I put the shirt on."

Bellingham was outstanding and scored for the first time for the Three Lions in his first World Cup match to put his side in front with a header.

The 19-year-old quipped said of his goal: "[I] told you I was saving it, didn't I?

"To be honest, I thought it had missed - it took ages to loop into the goal. I told you I wanted to try and score more goals for [Borussia] Dortmund and for England last year.

"To get in there, in the right position, it was a brilliant ball from [Luke] Shaw, and I was just there to flick it away. It's a really proud moment for me."

Gareth Southgate admitted he was left "a bit fed up" by the finale of England's opening World Cup match, despite his side running out comfortable 6-2 victors over Iran.

A brace for Bukayo Saka, plus goals for Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, saw the Three Lions kick off Qatar 2022 in style at Khalifa International Stadium.

But despite matching their biggest single-match haul in a World Cup game, set four years ago in a 6-1 win over Panama at Russia 2018, their manager was still left frustrated by their double concession.

Mehdi Taremi's double, the second of which came from a controversial VAR penalty, denied England a record winning margin, and Southgate acknowledged it added a sour note to his side's otherwise superb performance.

"I'm a bit fed up with the end of it, really," he told BBC Sport. "To win by that margin, to play as we did for the majority of the game, you've got to be really happy.

"They dealt with the game really well. It was a sticky first half with lots of stops, but we were a real threat throughout. Our movement was really good.

"But we shouldn't be conceding two goals [at] that stage of the game. We'll have to be right on our game against the United States, it was a great start, but we will have to do better.

"It's a consequence of the scoreline a bit. We just lost concentration and when we play at a slower tempo, we're nowhere near as effective."

Southgate's win takes him to nine at major tournaments, past Alf Ramsey's record of eight, while Bellingham and Saka's goals saw two players under 21 score in the same World Cup game for the first time in England history.

With five different goalscorers overall, the Three Lions boss was delighted with their involvement, adding: "We've got some good players, and today they really delivered. It's a great marker to put down."

In particular, Southgate credited Callum Wilson's assist for Grealish to grab his side's sixth of the match, while warning he must keep his players rooted to the ground ahead of further stern tests.

"Wilson was on," he added. "He could have been selfish but he was thinking of the team even at that moment. I should be more excited, but I've got to keep the team on the right track, where we have to be better."

Bukayo Saka scored twice as England made a flying start to their World Cup campaign by thrashing Iran 6-2 at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.

Saka – whose penalty miss proved decisive in the Euro 2020 final last year – netted a stunning volley to help Gareth Southgate's side take a 3-0 lead into half-time, before he doubled up after the break.

With Iran crumbling after goalkeeper Alireza Beyranvand suffered a nasty head injury early on, Jude Bellingham set the tone by scoring his first international goal, while Raheem Sterling prodded home England's third.

Mehdi Taremi denied England a clean sheet with a powerful finish, but substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish responded as the Three Lions sent out a message to their Group B rivals despite Taremi scoring a very late second from the penalty spot.

Harry Maguire was a nuisance in the opposition box and saw an early penalty appeal waved away before powering a header against the crossbar in the 32nd minute.

Three minutes later, Bellingham diverted Luke Shaw's hanging cross into the top-right corner with a fine looping header.

With Iran struggling to contain the Three Lions, Maguire nodded a corner into the path of Saka to unleash a fierce volley into the top-right corner and double England's lead.

Southgate's rampant side then made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time when Sterling cutely diverted home Harry Kane's right-wing cross.

There was no sign of England slowing down after the break, as Saka clinched his brace by cutting inside to drill a low finish beyond Iran substitute Hossein Hosseini.

Taremi denied England a clean sheet by firing in off the crossbar, but substitutes Rashford and Grealish produced composed finishes as the Three Lions extended their lead to 6-1.

There was one last piece of action when Taremi converted from the spot at the end of stoppage time after a VAR check contentiously ruled he was fouled by John Stones.

The organisation of the Qatar World Cup will again be called into question after an issue with FIFA's ticketing system left England and Iran fans struggling to get into Khalifa International Stadium.

Ahead of the opening Group B game, and the second match of the tournament, on Monday, thousands of supporters were unable to gain entry to the ground in time for kick-off.

This was due to a problem with the FIFA Ticketing app.

There were thousands of empty seats when the game started, with the venue gradually filling up during the first half.

In a statement released just prior to kick-off, FIFA said: "Some spectators are currently experiencing an issue with accessing their tickets via the FIFA Ticketing app. FIFA is working on solving the issue.

"In the meantime, fans who are not able to access their mobile tickets should check the email accounts they used to register with the Ticketing app for further instructions.

"In case fans cannot access their email accounts, the stadium's Ticket Resolution Point will be able to support. We thank fans for their understanding as we work to fix the issue as soon as possible."

England were applauded for taking a knee at the start of their World Cup Group B opener against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.

Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate confirmed in his pre-match press conference a day earlier that England had decided to perform the gesture at the World Cup.

Kneeling before a game was initially adopted on a regular basis in the Premier League following the death of George Floyd in the United States back in 2020.

Despite it being a show of solidarity against discrimination, it was an initiative that was not universally applauded, with several Premier League clubs jeered for taking part.

It was scrapped as a regular feature ahead of this season, with the Premier League instead announcing the gesture would be reserved for special occasions.

Reports had suggested England players were discussing whether to kneel during Qatar 2022, and Southgate confirmed on Sunday that the squad came to an agreement.

England made their stance during the noisy countdown to kick-off, with the gesture widely applauded some the England fans in the stadium.

However, England captain Harry Kane did not wear the OneLove armband.

Kane and captains from six other nations were initially due to wear the armband at the tournament to promote "inclusion and send a message against discrimination of any kind".

But the Football Association confirmed before Monday's game that they had bowed to pressure from FIFA, who "made it very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play".

A few minutes before, Iran players refused to sing their national anthem, which was also widely jeered by their supporters.

Iran's participation at the tournament comes amid social unrest in Iran following the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini in police custody two months ago. 

As many as 15,000 people have been arrested in the country for protesting against the regime's oppression of women, and Iran's refusal to sing has been perceived as an act of solidarity.

In September, Iran covered up their national symbols before a friendly against Senegal in what was also seen as an act of defiance.

Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were named in an attack-minded England starting XI for Monday's World Cup opener against Iran.

England manager Gareth Southgate has been routinely criticised throughout his tenure for a tendency to play pragmatic football, with his unadventurous midfield pairings often a source of frustration.

But Southgate appears to be throwing caution to the wind – to a degree – as the Three Lions look to make a flying start in Group B at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Fans have been particularly eager to see Bellingham in the starting XI more often over the past year, and the talented Borussia Dortmund midfielder gets the opportunity to stake his claim for the rest of the tournament alongside Declan Rice and Mason Mount in a forward-thinking engine room.

There had also been a degree of uncertainty regarding who Southgate might start out wide, but Arsenal winger Saka – who has enjoyed a fine start to the domestic season – gets the nod on the right wing, with Raheem Sterling starting on the left in support of Harry Kane.

Another relative surprise is Southgate's decision to go with what appears to be a back four, having often deployed three centre-backs and two wing-backs.

Southgate had vowed to continue selecting Harry Maguire at centre-back despite his poor form and lack of minutes at club level for Manchester United, and he stuck to his word by naming him alongside John Stones.

England and six other nations have confirmed their players will not wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup.

The move comes after FIFA threatened to book captains if they broke regulations and made their own statements on social issues, rather than following guidelines from the game’s governing body.

OneLove, which promotes "inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind", has grown in significance in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, a country in which homosexuality is illegal.

But, following extensive discussions between FIFA and an alliance of football associations – England, Wales, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands – the armband will now not be worn.

A joint statement read: "FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our 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.

"We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.

"We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented – we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response.

"Our players and coaches are disappointed – they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways."

England open their World Cup campaign against Iran later on Monday.

In a separate statement, the Dutch FA (KNVB) – the OneLove campaign originated in the Netherlands - expressed its anger and disappointment at FIFA's stance.

It read: "The KNVB and the players of the Dutch national team would like to convey a positive message with OneLove and against all forms of discrimination.

"We wanted to do that at the World Cup together with England, Wales, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.

"The UEFA working group, of which the KNVB is part, asked FIFA on September 19 to embrace the OneLove captain's armband. Today, hours before the first match, FIFA has (officially) made it clear to 

us that the captain will receive a yellow card if he wears the OneLove captain's armband.

"We deeply regret that is has not been possible to reach a reasonable solution together.

"We stand with the OneLove message and continue to carry it out, but our first priority at the World Cup is to win matches. You don't want the captain to start the match by getting a yellow card. That is why we had to decide with pain in our hearts - as a UEFA working group, the KNVB and as a team – to abandon our plan.

"As previously announced, the KNVB would have paid a possible fine for wearing the OneLove captain's armband but that FIFA would punish us for this on the field was not expected.

"This goes against the spirit of our sport which connects millions of people. In the coming period, together with the other countries involved, we will take a critical look at our relationship with FIFA."

England and six other nations have confirmed their players will not wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup.

The move comes after FIFA threatened to book captains if they broke regulations and made their own statements on social issues, rather than following guidelines from the game’s governing body.

OneLove, which promotes "inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind", has grown in significance in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, a country in which homosexuality is illegal.

But, following extensive discussions between FIFA and an alliance of football associations – England, Wales, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands – the armband will now not be worn.

A joint statement read: "FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our 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.

"We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.

"We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented – we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response.

"Our players and coaches are disappointed – they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways."

England open their World Cup campaign against Iran later on Monday.

England are considering their approach to the OneLove campaign after it emerged captain Harry Kane could be booked for wearing the rainbow armband in their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday.

OneLove, which promotes 'inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind', has grown in significance in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, a country in which homosexuality is illegal.

England, along with other European nations like Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, formed an alliance with all stating their captains would wear the armband in a show of solidarity and support with the LGBTQ community.

However, FIFA attempted to wrestle back control of the narrative on Saturday by launching their own collection of armbands across a range of social issues with a different subject for each stage, including 'Save the Planet' and 'Bring the Moves'.

It also emerged they were also considering ordering referees to issue yellow cards to captains wearing the OneLove armbands as soon as matches kicked off.

It has left the Football Association (FA) in an uncomfortable position just hours before Gareth Southgate's men open their campaign at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham told Radio 4's Today programme: "We've had meetings with FIFA this morning and there are discussions that are carrying on.

"We're very keen to wear the armband, we want to do it, but we would need to consider the implications.

"Normally in these situations there'd be a fine that would get paid and we've always said we are very happy to do that – well, happy might be the wrong word but we'd be prepared to pay the fine because we think it's important to show our support for inclusion.

"If the sporting sanction threat is real, though, we'd need to look at that, take a step back and work our if there's another way to show our values."

Harry Kane wants to break Wayne Rooney's England record as quickly as possible at the World Cup, though will not panic if he has to wait.

England start their campaign in Qatar against Iran on Monday, with Kane sitting on 51 goals for the Three Lions.

The Tottenham forward trails Rooney by just two, and having won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, Kane looks well-placed to become the record holder.

With England favourites to progress from Group B, which also includes the United States and Wales, Kane hopes to break the record swiftly, yet it is far from his priority.

"Hopefully as soon as possible, for sure, but again I spoke before the tournament, I know it's there, I know people talk about it, but I like to focus on my game, do the best for the team," Kane said in a press conference on Saturday.

"I know the team we have can create chances and I need to be ready for ones that come my way.

"Obviously, I was lucky enough to play with Wayne for England many times, he was a huge player, I looked up to him growing up, watched him in major tournaments.

"To be close to him is a real honour and hopefully I can do it as soon as possible. But if it's not the case, it's not something I'm going to panic about, I just focus game by game."

Three of Kane's six goals in Russia came from the penalty spot, while only one of his strikes was scored in the knockout stages.

Kane also took time to get going at Euro 2020, failing to score in the group stage, though he then netted four times in three knockout matches.

He has been in stellar form for Spurs this season, with only Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland scoring more goals of players in Europe's top five leagues. The 29-year-old, however, has sole focus on England's fortunes.

"It'd be a great thing to achieve, I was able to in 2018 and it helped the team reach the semi-finals," Kane said of winning the Golden Boot. "I know if I win it this year then hopefully it means we're doing well and going pretty far.

"As a striker I'll be judged on goals, I know how that works, but most importantly it's about giving my best for the team whether that’s scoring, assisting, defending. I'm ready to do what's necessary to win.

"In terms of players, we are playing against the best in the world. [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, Neymar, the list goes on. We'll have to wait and see.

"I try not to think about stuff like the Golden Boot, most important thing is trying to win the World Cup, that's what our focus is on. It's a difficult road ahead but we're focused on that."

Gareth Southgate confirmed England will take a knee before their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday in a show of solidarity against discrimination.

Premier League teams had adopted the gesture on a regular basis following the death of George Floyd in the United States back in 2020.

It was scrapped as a regular feature ahead of this season, with the Premier League instead announcing the gesture would be reserved for special occasions.

All Premier League games between October 8 and 16 saw players take the knee as part of the 'No Room for Racism' campaign, and it was also confirmed games on Boxing Day, the last weekend of the season and the finals of the FA Cup and EFL Cup will also see its return.

It had been reported that England players were discussing whether to kneel during the World Cup and Southgate confirmed the squad came to an agreement.

"We have discussed taking the knee, we feel we should," Southgate told reporters on Sunday.

"It's what we stand for as a team and have done for a long period of time.

"We understand in the Premier League, teams decided to only do it for the big games, the big occasions.

"We feel this is the biggest.

"We think it's a strong statement that will go around the world to young people in particular to show inclusivity is important."

On a similar note, Southgate and England captain Harry Kane also reiterated their commitment to the latter wearing the OneLove armband throughout the tournament.

England were one of eight teams to pledge their support to the initiative designed to promote inclusion ahead of the tournament in Qatar, where same-sex relationships are illegal.

FIFA launched its own "social campaign" and is urging captains to wear armbands provided by the governing body that promote its own slogans.

Additionally, regulations suggest the wearing of equipment not endorsed by FIFA are outlawed, giving rise to reports Kane could receive an immediate yellow card for donning the armband.

But England plan to stand by their decision.

"I think we made clear as a team, as a staff and organisation that we want to wear the armband," Kane said.

"I know the FA [Football Association] is talking to FIFA at the moment and I'm sure by game time they'll have their decision, but we made clear we want to wear it."

Southgate continued: "There's nothing more I can add to what Harry's said. I know there are conversations going on.

"A number or European countries have spoken and we made our position clear, and hopefully everything will be resolved before the game."

However, there are no plans to make a gesture in support of women in Iran.

The death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini – who was arrested for not wearing a hijab properly – in police custody in September sparked mass protests across the country, and it is a backdrop that has dominated Iran's build-up to the World Cup.

Iran showed solidarity with the protestors – 15,000 of whom have reportedly been arrested by the regime – in September when covering up their national symbols before a friendly against Senegal, but Southgate said England are not planning to make any gestures of their own.

"I don't feel informed enough to comment on what's going on in Iran, it's not my place either," he added. "I understand for Iranian players and the manager, they're in a difficult position but they're better informed.

"If we were asked by their team to support in some way, we would have to consider that, but at the moment it hasn't happened.

"We're all focused on the football now. This has been a complicated build-up in terms of many issues, but now our country expects us to focus on preparing the team as well as we can. I don't think people should expect that to be any different for us."

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz is not expecting any tips from his former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson on how to beat an England team he rates as a genuine World Cup contender.

Queiroz enjoyed two spells as Ferguson's assistant at United between 2002 and 2008, aiding the Scotsman as the Red Devils won six trophies over that period, including the 2007-08 Champions League and three Premier League crowns.

Although Queiroz resumed his own managerial career in 2008 as he took over the Portuguese national team for two years, he and Ferguson have remained friends.

On Monday, Queiroz's Iran side will go up against England in their Group B opener, and the former Real Madrid head coach will be taking full credit if he can mastermind a surprise win, with Ferguson seemingly not offering up any tips on how to beat the Three Lions.

"I confess I didn't receive any help from Scotland," Queiroz said with a chuckle on Sunday.

"Of course, we talk frequently as friends, but you can relax, Scotland this time is not supporting anything against England."

Queiroz seemed particularly familiar with Gareth Southgate's side and spoke with great admiration about them.

He reflected on his time working with United in England and championed the attitude and spirit of English players, though Queiroz believes the generation of 2022 is the best since the 1966 vintage, when the Three Lions last won the World Cup.

"I worked with English players, I met them. They're really brilliant, great and fantastic attitude all the time," he said. "They love to play the game with rhythm and intensity, which is part of the culture of English football.

"We know the English culture isn't like Spanish or Portugal, obsessed by ball possession, but then we know in a country like England, teams like Leicester City are able to win a championship with more opportunities without so much of the ball possession, like Manchester City and the other clubs. Football is this magic.

"The English players have my heart because they are a great example, they are always ready to play, always training with intensity. The way they play the game with a direct mind to put the ball in the net with full intensity, it's amazing.

"If I choose one kind of players to go to war, for sure I would not ignore the mentality and attitude of English players. This new generation Southgate is bringing in the national team, in my opinion I'd say it's the most talented…most competitive English national team since 1966, which I had the opportunity to see.

"This team is very functional, very practical, realistic. I worked with the generation of Rio [Ferdinand], not in the national team, and [Paul] Scholes, David Beckham, fantastic players all those guys, but this national team is really different because they have a realistic approach to every game, which makes them very dangerous.

"What can I say about England that people don't already know. They're one of the top national teams. Taking into consideration the last result and work they're doing, they're serious candidates to be in the final, one of the medal positions, even a candidate to be world champions."

Most people may assume England's World Cup opener against Iran will be a relatively routine one.

The Three Lions reached the semi-finals in 2018 before making it all the way to the final of last year's rearranged Euro 2020 tournament, and breezed through qualifying for Qatar 2022 with the best goal difference in the group stage of European qualifiers, scoring 39 and conceding only three.

Confidence will be high that Gareth Southgate's team can get going with three points, but a potentially tricky obstacle stands in their way on Monday.

Iran had an impressive qualifying campaign of their own, winning eight of 10 games in the third round of Asian qualifying and conceding just four goals.

They also sit 20th in the latest FIFA rankings, putting them above the likes of Serbia, Morocco and Poland.

Far from ideal as part of their preparations was a change of head coach just two months before the World Cup, with Dragan Skocic surprisingly removed and replaced by Carlos Queiroz to lead Team Melli in Qatar, shortly after he had guided Egypt to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

This will be Queiroz's fourth consecutive World Cup as a head coach – the longest ongoing run – and third in a row in charge of Iran after taking over for a second spell.

Iran lost 2-0 to Tunisia in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday, but Queiroz felt it allowed his team to be better prepared for England.

"Of course, the result is not good," he said. "We don't like to concede goals, we don't like to lose but [there are things] we need to correct.

"We had the best opportunities in the game before the penalty, we missed a few chances to score but the most important is the conclusions that we need to make in order to prepare for England."

Iran are one of 20 teams to have featured at each of the last two World Cups in 2014 and 2018 – of those teams, they have had the fewest shots (47), the fewest shots on target (10) and scored the fewest goals (3) in the group stages across those two tournaments combined.

Meanwhile, England's Eric Dier is not concerned about the high temperatures in Qatar despite the time of year, with the game kicking off at 4pm local time.

"I don't know what kind of impact it will have," he said at a press conference on Saturday. "I've never experienced it before, so it's going to be a first.

"This is normally a tournament which is played in the summer. In Russia [in 2018] it was hot. I wasn't there but during the Euros in England it was hot, so I think we're ready for that and we're playing in the same conditions as our opposition, so it's the same for everyone."

England are the only European team to have reached the semi-finals in each of the last two major tournaments, and will be hoping to start on course for another strong showing at the Khalifa International Stadium.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

England – Harry Kane 

England's captain has understandably been integral to their last two runs in the World Cup and European Championship, winning the golden boot at the last FIFA showpiece in 2018, where five of his six goals in Russia came in the group stage.

Kane was also joint-top scorer in European qualifying for this World Cup (12, level with Memphis Depay), and his shot conversion rate of 36.36 per cent was the highest of any player who scored at least six goals.

Iran – Mehdi Taremi

The consensus seems to be that Sardar Azmoun will be the one for England to keep an eye on, which is fair enough given his 40 goals in 63 games for his country to date, though his lack of goals and game time at club level could cost him sharpness, having scored just once in 22 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen since joining in January.

On the other hand, his international strike partner Taremi has 13 goals in 19 games for Porto this season, including five in the Champions League.

Despite only playing six times, no Iran player was involved in more goals during the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying than Taremi (four goals, two assists).

PREDICTION

Despite Iran probably being stronger than many anticipate, England are still justifiably heavy favourites. 

According to Stats Perform's AI model, the Three Lions have a 72.2 per cent chance of opening with a win, while the draw is rated at 18.1 per cent.

It would be a moment to remember should Iran pull off an upset, but Queiroz's men have just a 9.7 per cent chance of victory.