England and Wales begin their Group B campaign against Iran and the USA respectively on Day Two of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
2018 semi-finalists and Euro 2020 finalists England kick off the day’s action against Iran as Gareth Southgate’s side look to go on to claim their first senior men’s trophy since 1966.
After Senegal and the Netherlands completed the first round of Group A matches in Doha, Wales made their first World Cup final appearance since 1958 when they faced the USA in Al Rayyan.
World Cup – November 21
- England vs Iran – Group B, from 1pm
- Senegal vs Netherlands – Group A, from 4pm
- USA vs Wales – Group B, from 7 pm
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England manager Gareth Southgate has given an update to the squad to face Iran in the World Cup and is sure to bow out as a ‘strong voice’.
England they will not have James Maddison or Kyle Walker, with both players injured during the match. Kalvin Phillips – who also had questions about his fitness going into the World Cup – is there.
Gareth Southgate said: “In terms of player availability, everyone has bar James Maddison tomorrow.
“It’s almost time for Kyle Walker to start training with the team, so he’s ahead of where we thought he could be at this point. Very good. We’re looking forward to the challenge and I really liked the way. The players are approaching training this week.”
Iran is Midfielder Omid Ebrahimi is the most likely side due to a chest injury, but Bayer Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun is in the squad despite tearing a calf muscle last month.
Ehsan Hajsafi will wear the captain’s armband as he prepares to make his 122nd appearance for Iran, with Brentford’s Saman Ghoddos in the squad.
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Gareth Bale is giving an update on his defense saying he is ‘where he wants to be’ on the eve of Wales’ World Cup opener against the USA.
Wales it will not put Joe Allen at risk against the USA. The midfielder has not played since September after picking up a hip injury – and a return to the opening game is still a long way off.
“We said from the beginning we’re going to give him every chance we can to get him to play that first game, maybe he won’t make it,” Rob Page said.
“We could have pushed him but if it rots then he’s really out of the competition, let alone the second game. Risk is reward. We would have liked the first game, but we’re not pushing the point of losing him completely.”
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Joe Allen has trained differently to the rest of Wales’ players as he tries to recover from an abdominal injury and be fit for their World Cup opener against the USA.
USA Head coach Gregg Berhalter has named Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams as World Cup captain for the evening’s opening game against Wales.
The 23-year-old captain is by far the youngest captain at this year’s tournament, with England’s Harry Kane the only other under-30 captain in Qatar.
The position has rotated between several players throughout Berhalter’s tenure, with Adams, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Walker Zimmerman all involved since the start of the World Cup. Adams wore the jersey in seven of 12 appearances during that stretch.
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Before their World Cup opener against Wales, the USA soccer team received a special phone call from President Joe Biden to wish them well.
Tyler Adams has been named the USA captain for the 2022 World Cup
Senegal suffered a major setback before the tournament when Sadio Mane was ruled out of the World Cup due to a leg injury while playing for Bayern Munich.
Mane has been named in Senegal’s 26-man squad for the World Cup but the ex-Liverpool player will miss Qatar after failing to recover.
Memphis Depay will also miss out Netherlands’ to open the World Cup. The striker hurt his hip while playing in the Nations League in September, but told reporters he is fit to play after training.
“It will be painful for us as Sadio Mane’s absence from Senegal is difficult for them,” Van Gaal said on Monday in Group A in Doha.
Iran carried the big show at the World Cup
Carlos Queiroz is back as Iran’s head coach for the second time
Iran will begin their World Cup campaign on Monday in a politically positive light. While England’s players will focus on success, the Iranians will have more on their minds. Some argue that they should not exist at all.
The participation comes at a time of turmoil in Iran, where international protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September were met with a bloody response by the ruling government.
Amini died after being arrested by the state’s self-styled moral police for violating their Muslim dress code, her plight fueling long-standing anger and resentment over the suppression of women’s rights in the country.
At least 348 have been killed so far, according to human rights monitoring groups, while another 15,900 have been arrested. Earlier this week, a court in Tehran, the capital of Iran, handed down the first death sentence for a man arrested for his involvement.
Iran’s participation in the World Cup is seen as inconsistent by many in terms of the situation. There have also been calls to ban the competition. But the focus now turns to how their players will fare in Qatar amid the expected displays on the pitch.
Read more about what’s happening in Iran ahead of the World Cup opener HERE
Van Gaal’s last stand: The Netherlands boss is doing his best
Louis van Gaal will lead the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup
The selection of the Netherlands team has caused controversy in preparation for the World Cup in Qatar. It’s a concoction that could only have come from the mind of Louis van Gaal. A mistake would be to think that this means it won’t work.
“Louis has a clear idea of how he wants his team to play and the style he wants to play,” said Frans Hoek. Sky Sports. “He was watching the national team from afar and he clearly saw what was there and what was not.”
Like Van Gaal, there’s an insistent tone to Hoek’s voice, a way that makes you believe that what others might think is outlandish makes sense. Like Van Gaal, his coach of many years has experience to back it up.
Read more from Adam Bate’s interview with Frans Hoek HERE
Opta figures: England’s equipment experts, USA’s loose defenses
- England are the only European team to have reached the semi-finals of the last two major tournaments (FIFA World Cup + EURO).
- 12 of England’s last 18 goals at the FIFA World Cup have been scored from the penalty spot. In fact, 75% of their goals in 2018 came from set pieces (9 out of 12).
- This will be the first meeting between Senegal and the Netherlands. The Dutch are unbeaten by African opposition at the FIFA World Cup (W3 D1), while Senegal have never tasted defeat against European opposition in the group stage (W2 D1).
- The USA have kept just two clean sheets in their last 27 FIFA World Cup matches, scoring 46 goals in the process. In contrast, the USA kept a clean sheet in their first six World Cup matches between 1930 and 1950.
- Nine of Wales’ 13 goals in their last two competitions (EURO 2016 & 2020) have seen one of Gareth Bale or Aaron Ramsey take part as a scorer or assist.
Elsewhere in the World Cup
Romelu Lukaku has been included in Belgium’s 26-man World Cup squad
In Belgium goalscorer Romelu Lukaku trained on Sunday as uncertainty over his fitness continues to plague the team’s World Cup campaign.
Lukaku, 29, has made just two appearances in the past four months for the club as he struggles with an abdominal injury and is unlikely to be available for Belgium’s Group F clash against Canada and Morocco.
His condition is being assessed day by day, and the aim is to be available for the final group game against Croatia on December 1.
Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after tearing his left thigh.
The Ballon d’Or winner, 34, came into the tournament with knee and hip injuries and has been training away from the French team.
Saturday was Benzema’s first training session and he was forced to leave early after suffering pain in his left thigh, with the French Football Federation confirming that the striker had a “tear” that could rule him out of the competition.
Uruguay’s Sergio Rochet (left) says bowlers will face a tough task with fast balls.
Players are facing a tough task at the World Cup as the balls travel faster and fly and the new model being used in Qatar is no exception, according to Uruguayan player Sergio Rochet.
FIFA said the new ball – called Al Rihla or “the journey” in Arabic – travels faster than any other in the competition’s history.
“Every year, it gets better for the strikers and for us the gold is more difficult,” Rochet told reporters ahead of Uruguay’s opening game against South Korea on Thursday. “This is fastball. We’re planning to change.”
Football fans must not “appear to be drinking” or be shirtless at World Cup stadiums in Qatar, according to organizers.
FIFA has drawn up a “code of conduct” that applies to all 64 matches in the Gulf state.
Another section advises ticket holders about their behavior at the stadium and follows a list of things they should not do unless “approved by the organizers of the event, if necessary”.
Football Matters: World Cup podcast
Listen to the second episode of the Essential Football World Cup podcast as we discuss who will start in England’s opener against Iran and Gareth Bale’s fitness for Wales.
