World Cup 2022 Team Preview - Iran

Iran's odds to win the World Cup

500/1

Best World Cup

Group stage 1978, 1998, 2014, 2018 

2018 World Cup

Group stage

Iran's World Cup Schedule

• Read a full Group B summary here

Road to Qatar

Ironically, Iran had more problems negotiating their first qualifying group, losing in Bahrain and Iraq before squeezing through to the second group phase. from then onwards, however, only a strong South Korea team took points off Iran, who themselves took maximum points home and away against Syria, Iraq, UAE and Lebanon, to clinch second spot by an 11-point margin to qualify easily with the Koreans. 

Recent form

Iran proved difficult to beat at the last World Cup in Russia, when they beat Morocco (1-0), earned a 1-1 draw with Portugal, and only went down to Spain by a solitary goal. Recent results suggest this campaign will again be no pushovers, with September's eyecatching 1-0 win over Uruguay preceding a no less impressive 1-1 draw against African Nations champions, Senegal, while they wound up their preparations with a 1-0 success against Nicaragua last weekend.

Iran World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Amir Abedzadeh (Ponferradina), Seyed Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan)

Defenders: Ehsan Hajsafi (AEK Athens), Morteza Pouraliganji (Persepolis), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan), Milad Mohammadi (AEK Athens), Hossein Kanaanizadegan (Al Ahli), Shojae Khalilzadeh (Al Ahli), Sadegh Moharrami (Dinamo Zagreb), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Abolfazl Jalali (Esteghlal)

Midfielders: Ahmad Noorollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Saman Ghoddos (Brentford), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis), Saeid Ezatolahi (Vejle), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis), Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi), Ali Karimi (Kayserispor)

Forwards: Karim Ansarifard (Omonia Nicosia), Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen), Mehdi Taremi (Porto)

Team insights

Probable formation: 4-1-4-1 Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz has built a team around defensive resilience, and while they might not be the most entertaining team to watch, breaking them down could prove a headache for their World Cup opponents. A back four is likely to be protected by a holding midfield player, and with a further four across the middle of the park, you are left with a line-up that denies space between the lines in their own defensive third. That's not to say that Iran won't possess their own attacking threat, but the midfield will need to break quickly to link up with their likely solitary front man. That role is likely to be filled by Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun if he can shake off a niggling injury, and his all-round ability should offer Iran an outlet going forward, while Mehdi Taremi of Porto and Alireza Jahanbakhsh were both among the goals in qualifying to offer alternative attacking options. Elsewhere, the likes of Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh and Allahyar Sayyadmanesh might be a couple to catch the eye alongside captain Ehsan Hajsafi in midfield. 

World Cup prospects

While England are favourites to top Group B, the second qualifying spot is very much up for grabs, and Iran will have high hopes of being able to finish above both Wales and USA. If they can catch England cold in their opener, so much the better, but their crunch game games against those other two opponents will be their primary focus. That will pave the way for a second round clash, probably against the Netherlands or Senegal, and if they've reached that far, Iran won't be daunted by anyone. Best hope: Last 16

Read more about each of Iran's Group B opponents:

USA, Wales, England