Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount, Harry Maguire and Raheem Sterling all start in a 4-3-3 formation. Your #ThreeLions to take on Iran! pic. twitter. com/uU7SA2TAJB— England (@England) November 21, 2022 11:39Josh HollandHow do the bookmakers make of England's World Cup chances? Plenty has been made of England's chances of winning their first World Cup since 1966. Of course, England supporters are as confident as ever going into the tournament, despite the bookmakers listing Brazil and Argentina as the two favourites. But what do they make of England's chances? Betfair backed the Three Lions at 8/1 to win the World Cup, below Brazil (10/3) and Argentina (11/2).
Our players and coaches are disappointed – they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways. "Full story can be found here09:51Josh HollandNetherlands confirm OneLove U-turnThe Netherlands have announced that they won't be wearing the OneLove armband in solidarity with LGBTQ+ and marginalised groups after FIFA confirmed that Virgil van Dijk and other players would receive punishment for doing so. The decision comes as England are set to make their own call on the situation after FIFA revealed that the symbol would be greeted with 'sporting sanctions' - a yellow card - as well as a fine.
But the doubt comes from what has happened over the past year. "If they can get over that doubt in their own minds, they have the team that is good enough to reach the semi-finals. "10:43Josh HollandReaction to 'spineless' FA World Cup decisionHarry Kane will not be wearing the OneLove armband against Iran as England and other European sides back down from their campaign amid threats from FIFA that captains would be booked for the gesture. The armbands, which are to support inclusivity, the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised groups, were instead replaced by FIFA with their own slogans and armband initiative for the tournament on the eve of the competition. The move comes as LGBTQ+ people and other marginalised groups were already underrepresented and sidelined in the lead up to the World Cup due to Qatar's laws on gay rights and women's rights. The move to effectively block the OneLove campaign is just extra ammunition for those already unhappy at the state of the tournament and FIFA.
In the coming period, we will take a critical look at our relationship with FIFA together with the other countries involved. "09:35Josh HollandInside England's 56 years of hurtAhead of today's World Cup opener, many will be reminiscing on previous heartbreaks in major tournaments. Under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions reached the semi-final in Russia four years ago before going a step further in the 2020 European Championships. Here's a look at England's record in the the tournament. 09:23Sam TrueloveHow to watch England vs IranThe Three Lions will kick-off at 1pm against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium. England's group opener against Iran will be shown on BBC One. Viewers on Sky and Virgin Media can tune in on channel 101, the match will also be live-streamed on the BBC iPlayer from 12pm.
Van Dijk had originally said he would wear it, but the threat of playing with a booking would force a rethink. In a statement put out on the morning of Netherlands' match against Senegal and England vs Iran, the KNVB said: "The Dutch football association regrets that it was not possible to jointly come to a reasonable solution. "We stand for the OneLove message and will continue to spread it, but our first priority at the World Cup is winning the games. Then you don't want the captain to start the game with a yellow card. "But that FIFA wants to punish us on the field for this has never been seen before. This goes against the spirit of our sport, which connects millions of people.
However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play. "We are very frustrated by the Fifa decision which we believe is unprecedented – we wrote to Fifa in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response.
Confidence is flowing around the country that football could well and truly be coming home after 56 years without success in the competition. Despite England's shocking form in June and September, many England supporters have backed Southgate's men to go all the way. However, Wenger believes that England will come short in their attempts to win the tournament but will reach the semi-finals due to the quality within the squad. "If you look at the last few years, England should be in the semi-finals at least, " he toldThe Sun. "They got to the semi-finals in Russia and then the Final in the Euros.
There's an array in talent within the England squad, but only 11 can start. Read how we have predicted England to start11:16Josh HollandEngland players 'determined' to take the kneeYesterday, England boss Gareth Southgate confirmed that his players will take the knee before today's game against Iran. The anti-racism gesture has been carried out before matches since the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the decision was made to continue the gesture in Qatar following talks. However, after confirming Harry Kane will wear the 'OneLove' armband, the decision was reversed this morning due to the threat of captains receiving a yellow card.
England vs Iran: Live Score, Stream and H2H results 11/21
It's also expected that Mason Mount will be used in an advanced position. Bukayo Saka and Mason Mount of England pose for a photograph at Al Wakrah Stadium (Image: Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)10:23Josh HollandPublic figures react to OneLove U-turnPrior to the announcement that England would not wear the OneLove armband as planned, plenty of pundits have criticised FIFA's pressure with sanctions. Now, with many left bemused by the decision to revert the use of the armband. Piers Morgan has reacted to the news on Twitter. Ridiculous that England made such a fuss about wearing virtue-signalling armbands at this World Cup.
How to watch England vs Iran in Group Stage of 2022 World