FIFA World Cup Blog: England Face Iran In Group B Opener

Goals in the opening four games since 1994:

1994 - 8
1998 - 13
2002 - 14
2006 - 12
2010 - 5
2014 - 15
2018 - 13
2022 - 14

It's the joint second highest total after four games since 1994. 

Weah and Bale goals either side of half time ensure that the two sides share the spoils in the feisty third match on Day 2.  

Gareth Bale from the spot! HUGE goal for Wales. 

It's been a good half for USA, not so much from Wales. Big second half for Rob Page's men. 

No goals yet but plenty of feisty action as Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie are booked in quick succession for the USA. 

Game, set, match. 

Finally we've got a breakthrough! 

Despite a fair share of shots, neither team has managed to find the back of the net. 

6-2 England was priced at 150/1 with Betfred. Six customers backed this result, £3 was the biggest stake placed on the bet. 

Two games in, and the Fifa World Cup has already bounced from one farce to another. On day one we had the traffic chaos and empty seats which accompanied Qatar’s weak submission against Ecuador.

Monday brought the sight of Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand being allowed to carry on with a very clear concussion in his side’s eventual 6-2 battering at the hands of England.

VAR loves controversy, pass it on.

Another goal in the never-ending match! Mehdi Taremi nets from the spot after a soft-looking pen is given for a foul by John Stones. Whatever, it's over now and that's a big win for England in their opener.

Gareth's substitutions, my word! First Rashford scores, now two subs combine as Callum Wilson breaks away and squares for Jack Grealish. England have matched their best tournament score!

Aaaaaand there's that four-goal lead again. Marcus Rashford takes his first touches and grabs his first goal in a major tournament.

Then again....! Mehdi Taremi gets off the shoulder of Harry Maguire and it's 4-1.

Ok, we're officially saying England will win this one! Bukayo Saka has his second!

And suddenly England have come alive. That's three before the break. Is Atomic Kitten getting blasted again?

What a stunning strike that is from Saka.

England have the breakthrough and it's young superstar Jude Bellingham who gets the Three Lions off the mark in Qatar. He keeps on writing his own scripts.

Alireza Beiranvand was treated for eight minutes with a suspected concussion but was still allowed to play on despite a bloody nose and a dazed look on his face. The keeper then made the call to come off himself after another minute of play resuming.

Should England have been given a penalty here?

England fans made to wait two hours to get into Khalifa international Stadium due to a problem with the e-ticketing system.

Gareth Southgate has opted to go with a back four with Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount all getting starts.

England and several other nations have announced that they will not make their captains wear the OneLove captain’s armband during the World Cup.

Rangers have sacked manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst after a poor start to the season.

"Unfortunately, recent results have not met neither our nor Gio’s expectations, and we have taken this difficult decision today. " - Douglas Park

After reaching the 2018 World Cup semi-final and the Euro 2020 final, Gareth Southgate's England get their much-anticipated assault on the 2022 Fifa World Cup underway against Iran, while Wales' first visit to the tournament in 64 years begins against USA.

There's also a fascinating opener between Senegal and Netherlands on Day 2 of the tournament.