Iran

The journey that Iran took to get to Qatar 2022 was, in a sense, a tale of two halves. In the second round of qualifying, they suffered two shock losses to Bahrain and Iraq, putting them on the verge of elimination. As a result, Belgian manager Marc Wilmots was sacked from his position after the team was put in such a precarious position.

Next up was Dragan Skocic, a Croatian player. His appointment completely changed the atmosphere and ensured that progress would be made by prevailing in three must-win games within a span of only eight days. Even though he has a few cup victories to his name from playing club football in Croatia and Slovenia, he will be making his debut on the international stage in Qatar.

Iran got to go to Qatar because they won their group by a wide margin. In the last round of qualifying, they won eight of the ten games they played.

Many Iranians find the prospect of their country facing England and the United States in Qatar fascinating from a political standpoint. As Iran prepares to compete in their third World Cup in a row for the first time, the country as a whole anticipates that they will create history by advancing to the round of 16. Nevertheless, a lack of financial resources and inadequate preparations faded their optimism.

TACTICS

In a manner very similar to that in 2018, Iran’s primary tactic for dealing with adversaries who seem to be stronger on paper will consist of compactly defending and waiting for counterattacks to materialize.

The most dangerous threat will come from Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi, who work well together as an attacking duo.

READY TO SHINE

Mehdi Taremi

A player who finished the previous season in Portugal’s Primeira Liga with a total of 20 goals and 12 assists, making him a candidate for the role of the competition’s most important contributor.