With Wilmots on the bench, Iran were in a troubled position after losing to Iraq and Bahrain. They took off with Skocic and qualified for the World Cup ahead of South Korea. They are now probably the best Asian side in terms of both attacking and defending. They know how to sit back and be compact, as Carlos Queiroz demonstrated, and they have a variety of offensive options in Azmoun, Taremi, and Ansarifard, for example. Their challenge now is finding a setup and plan that gets the best out of their strengths on the biggest stage.
Iran famously beat the USA when the teams competed in France in 1998 in what was a momentous occasion on and off the field.
Iran will appear at a third straight World Cup finals as the No. 1-ranked national team from the Asian region, capable of making a mark.
They qualified for the 2022 showpiece in emphatic style, winning eight and only losing one of their final qualification-round fixtures. That was enough for them to finish top of their group, as they edged out South Korea, who also qualified as runners-up.
Porto forward Mehdi Taremi, Feyenoord creator Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Bayer Leverkusen threat Sardar Azmoun make Iran a strong attacking unit, but their coaching situation has been the subject of most focus in the build-up. Dragan Skocic led them through qualification but was fired and then reportedly re-hired in quick succession in July, before eventually being replaced by ex-Manchester United tactician, Portuguese Carlos Querioz. He is now in his second spell in charge, having taken them to the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 20 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 1st (AFC)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 6 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified: Asia Group A winners (8W-1L-1D)
- Coach: Carlos Queiroz (Portugal) since Sep. 2022
- Key players: Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen / Germany), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord / Netherlands), Mehdi Taremi (Porto / Portugal)
LINE-UP (1-4-4-2)
World Cup Group B fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | England vs. Iran | 8 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | USA vs. Wales | 2 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Wales vs. Iran | 5 a.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | England vs. USA | 2 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Wales vs. England | 2 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Iran vs. USA | 2 p.m. | Al Thumama Stadium |
Bengali