England vs Iran LIVE: World Cup 2022 build-up as Harry Kane set to be booked if he wears OneLove armband

11/21/2022

Mehdi Taremi: Iran’s goal machine once banned by Fifa and leading the line in Qatar

Iran striker Mehdi Taremi’s four years in Portuguese football have turned unquestioned potential into one of the most potent weapons at the disposal of national team coach Carlos Queiroz.

Since featuring for Team Melli at the last World Cup – and missing a late opportunity against Portugal to take Iran into the knockout rounds for the first time – the 30-year-old from Bushehr has turned into a scoring machine.

Taremi established himself as one of the most talked about players in Iran before Russia 2018 but until then he eschewed advances to move to Europe to stay much closer to home.

In 2016 he signed a contract with Turkish side Caykur Rizespor before deciding to stay with Tehran-based Persepolis, a decision that was to cost him four months of his career in 2017 when he was banned by Fifa for breaching that agreement.

Iran’s goal machine Mehdi Taremi once banned by Fifa and leading line in Qatar

The free-scoring striker was banned by Fifa in 2017 but has returned to great effect in both the domestic and international game

England and Wales set for opening fixtures in Qatar

England and Wales face their opening games of the World Cup 2022 on Monday (21 November), with Three Lions captain Harry Kane hoping to put their recent bad form behind them as they head into the tournament in Qatar.

Gareth Southgate’s team face Iran in their first Group B fixture, while Gareth Bale will captain Wales against the USA.

In Group A, Senegal and the Netherlands begin their World Cup campaigns following yesterday’s curtain raiser which saw hosts Qatar lose 2-0 against Ecuador.

England ready for ‘dog of a game’ against Carlos Queiroz’s well-drilled Iran in World Cup opener

The England squad spent a significant part of the eve of their opening World Cup 2022 game discussing whether or not to take the knee. There was some debate, as well as the need to navigate “Qatari politics, Iranian politics”, according to Gareth Southgate.

It again illustrated how different this World Cup is, and has undeniably played into a more muted build-up back home. Even this opening match is against an Iranian team that might have been banished from the tournament under a different Fifa regime. Gareth Southgate doesn’t think any of this is an issue for his players, though.

“I haven’t felt the need to get them up for it.”

They’re well versed in these big games. So much so that they deeply feel they have the experience now to go a step further and win this World Cup.

England ready for ‘dog of a game’ against Carlos Queiroz’s Iran at World Cup

Gareth Southgate’s choice of formation could be more influential than in most international games when England take on stubborn Iran on Monday

Hapless Qatar’s World Cup could be over before everyone else’s even began

There is a story that encapsulated the haplessness of the England cricket team at the time. They hosted the 1999 World Cup and contrived to be knocked out of it before their official song was released.

The Qatar football team may be able to empathise. In effect, they have been eliminated from their own World Cup before 30 teams have kicked a ball. Not mathematically and, officially anyway, their destiny may remain in the balance when they face the Netherlands in their final group game. But the reality of being pooled with Senegal and the Dutch meant an opening date with Ecuador assumed still greater proportions.

Qatar had waited 12 years for this. They had spent £220 billion. They had given their players a six-month training camp to prepare, facing everyone from Linfield to Lazio, Croatia Under-23s to Chile. And if they began a World Cup with optimism, perhaps it was eroded inside four minutes.

Hapless Qatar’s World Cup could be over before everyone else’s even began

The hosts were outclassed by Ecuador in the opener and have essentially already been eliminated from the tournament

Fifa applying pressure over armbands

A number of European countries, including England and Wales, announced their decision to wear the rainbow coloured OneLove armbands at the World Cup to support inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights. It’s a simple gesture but one that would be a strong message especially as the tournament is being held in a country that outlaws homosexuality.

Fifa have hoped to stop this in various ways. They’ve launched five armband campaigns or their own, threatened the participating countries with fines and are now rumoured to be applying sporting sanctions – in the form of yellow cards – to players who do not comply with their wishes.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmund has hinted that Danes now might not wear the OneLove armband saying: “It’s not up to the players but they should not have to go onto the pitch with a yellow card already.

“Sporting sanctions are not right. All the countries will take a decision.”

Most likely teams will wait to see what punishment, if any, England captain Harry Kane gets during England’s match vs Iran this afternoon yet this is becoming yet another controversy in a World Cup littered with them.

Inside the £220-a-day containers fans will stay in at World Cup in Qatar

Qatar has created a “football fan village” using Chinese-made container houses to provide mass accommodation for the World Cup.

The 6,000 containers – each costing over £220-a-night – can accommodate up to 12,000 football fans during the event, with a number of communal areas.

Footage shows each 16-square-meter room is equipped with a number of appliances, including two single beds, a wardrobe, a pantry, a toilet, an electric fan and an air conditioner.

This fan village is located near the city’s Hamad international airport, and is about a 20-minute drive from the nearest stadium.

Qatar ‘gripped by football fever’ despite early fan exodus, insists World Cup chief

One of the chief organisers of the Qatar World Cup believes the country is “gripped by football fever”, despite many local fans walking out early during the hosts’ defeat to Ecuador.

Empty seats became increasingly visible in home sections of Al Bayt Stadium from half-time onwards, and by the final 15 minutes the ground was virtually deserted except for the exuberant Ecuadorians.

However, Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, insisted the country is excited to be hosting the finals, which were so controversially awarded back in 2010.

“Qatar 2022 is finally here and we celebrated with a mesmerising opening ceremony, passion in the stands and exciting football on the pitch,” he said.

Qatar ‘gripped by football fever’ despite early fan exodus, insists World Cup chief

Home sections of Al Bayt Stadium were virtually deserted with 15 minutes of the opening match to go.

FA CEO speaks out about OneLove armbands

FA CEO Mark Bullingham spoke on BBC radio 4 today about England deciding to wear the OneLove armbands despite Fifa issuing fines to countries who do so.

“We’d be prepared to pay the fine because we think it’s important to show our support for inclusion.” he said, “If the sporting sanctions threat is real, we need to look at that, step back back & work out if there’s another way we can show our values.”

Bullingham added that discussions are still ongoing with Fifa over any possible sporting sanctions – including a yellow card for captain Harry Kane – saying:

“There are discussions carrying on. We’re very keen to wear the armband, we want to do it. But obviously we would need to consider the implications.”

England and Wales to risk Fifa fine by wearing pro-LGBTQ+ armbands in Qatar

England and Wales currently plan to keep wearing OneLove armbands at the World Cup, as 11 federations await clarification from Fifa on the issue.

While the governing body says it will respond in “due course”, the squads that plan to wear the armband – intended to show solidarity with LGBTQ+ groups given punitive Qatari laws – expressed surprise that they had not received a response less than 48 hours before the World Cup was due to start, especially since questions went in weeks ago in some cases.

This has led to debate within the federations whether to wear them, especially since it risks a fine.

Some, such as France, are taking it to mean they cannot wear the armbands. Others believe the lack of response so far means they can wear them without punishment.

Players from the Wales and England squads are nevertheless insistent they should wear them.

England and Wales to risk Fifa fine by wearing pro-LGBTQ+ armbands in Qatar

11 countries are awaiting a response from the world governing body over their intention to wear them

What does Harry Kane’s World Cup armband mean?

England’s Harry Kane is set to wear an anti-discrimination captain’s armband at the 2022 World Cup, in a move that could see the Three Lions striker punished in Qatar.

Kane sported a rainbow armband in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in England’s final games before the World Cup, and he is due to wear a OneLove band at the first ever winter World Cup.

The English Football Association (FA) has joined nine other European federations, including the Football Association of Wales (FAW), in supporting a season-long OneLove campaign against discrimination.

Kane and the captains of the eight other countries who have qualified for the World Cup will wear the OneLove armband in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and the promotion of such relationships are criminalised.

What does Harry Kane’s World Cup armband mean?

The Three Lions skipper is set to sport a OneLove armband at the tournament in Qatar

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