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What is ‘One Love’ armband and why is FIFA against it in World Cup 2022?
Captains of seven European teams, including former champions Germany and England, were set to wear rainbow-marked armbands, which bear the words "OneLove" on them and feature the number one inside a heart, during World Cup 2022 being held in Qatar to promote diversity and inclusion in football and society.
This created the possibility that on Monday (November 21, 2022), Harry Kane of England, Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, and on Tuesday (November 22, 2022) Gareth Bale of Wales would wear the mark of protest against the host nation Qatar and in defiance of FIFA.
However, after facing threat from the governing body of world football of on-field punishment for players, England, Wales, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will not wear the One Love armbands.
READ: FIFA’s punishment threat forces European team captains to abandon ‘One Love’ armbands
Same-sex relationships are criminalised in host nation Qatar where members of the LGBTQ community were sent behind bars and harassed by authorities as recently as September, according to Human Rights Watch.
The seven European teams reversed course Monday and abandoned a plan for their captains to wear armbands to protest Qatar's human rights record as threats of "sporting sanctions from FIFA left them no choice but to abandon" the One Love campaign gesture they announced in September.
Just hours before the first players wearing the armbands, supposed to act as a form of silent protest not dissimilar to taking the knee as a symbol of anti-racist solidarity, were set to enter the field, FIFA warned that they would be issued yellow cards right away as the displays are "against" its regulations.
READ: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: England make strong statement with a thumping win over Iran
In the end, the teams said they could not sacrifice success on the field. A yellow card is a warning, but two yellows would see a player sent off the field for the rest of the match and banned from the next – a sanction that is intensified in the World Cup football format, where teams play just three matches before the elimination rounds begin.
"As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings," the seven European football federations said in a joint statement.
During a meeting with European football federations on Sunday, FIFA mentioned the possibility of yellow cards.
READ: World Cup 2022: Iran goalkeeper clashes heads with teammate
For FIFA final competitions, the captain of each team must wear the captain's armband provided by FIFA, according to the equipment rules.
FIFA's proposal, announced Saturday, was for captains to wear armbands with socially aware slogans. In that offer, armbands reading "No Discrimination" – the only one of its chosen slogans aligned with the European teams' wish – would appear only at the quarterfinal stage.
Since being awarded the World Cup hosting rights in 2010, Qatar received a wave of international backlash for its treatment of low-paid migrant workers as well as its criminalisation of homosexuality.
Read More: Qatar World Cup: Biggest party or scam in the world?
The Dutch Football Association initiated the One Love campaign at the start of the 2020 football season to "express their support for unification of all people" and condemn all forms of discrimination.
In September 2022, it was announced that nine other nations, including Norway, Sweden, and France, would also adopt the One Love campaign for upcoming matches, including the Qatar World Cup and next year's UEFA Nations League.
World Cup 2022: Iran goalkeeper clashes heads with teammate
Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand was injured and carried off the field early in his team’s opening World Cup match against England on Monday after clashing heads with a teammate.
Beiranvand initially tried to continue playing despite the game being paused for several minutes as he received treatment following the collision with Majid Hosseini at the Khalifa International Stadium.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: England make strong statement with a thumping win over Iran
England thrashed Iran in the second match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, sending a strong message to the other favourites. A one-sided affair, Iran's misery started in the 10th minute when a collision of heads between goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and center back Majid Hosseini saw Beiranvand sustain a concussion.
Iran fought bravely until the final minutes of the first half, when a Jude Bellingham header opened the scoring for England in the 35th minute. Goals from Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling made sure the game was over for Iran before the end of the 45 minutes.
Read More: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 : Argentina vs Saudi Arabia match schedule, prediction, possible line-up, where to watch live
The second half started in the same way as the first as Bukayo Saka doubled his tally in the 62nd minute. Mehdi Taremi gave Iran a glimmer of hope in the 65th minute, but Marcus Rashford hit back fast in the 71st minute to make it 5-1.
Substitute Jack Grealish's 89th-minute goal was the cherry on top of the cake for England, although Iran scored the final goal of the game. A 90+10th minute penalty from Mehdi Taremi.
Aftermath
England now lead Group B while Iran linger at the bottom with a 4-goal difference. Enner Valencia, Bukayo Saka, and Mehdi Taremi all tied on two goals for the golden boot.
Read More: England Squad analysis for 2022 World Cup
Key Performances
Bukayo Saka: Two goals from the young Arsenal winger in his first World Cup appearance
Jude Bellingham: His header opened the floodgates for England.
Harry Kane: No goals, but two assists from the English captain made sure his team went on to win by a handsome margin.
Mehdi Taremi: The only shining light in a below-average Iranian performance. Taremi scored two goals in the game.
Read More: Which European teams have the best chances of winning 2022 World Cup?
England’s magnificent victory over Iran was a strong message to their main rivals for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Besides, the USA and Wales should be more prepared when they face the English side in their group stage matches.
Messi begins legacy-defining World Cup with match against Saudi Arabia Tuesday
Lionel Messi begins his legacy-defining World Cup with a game against likely the weakest opponent the Argentina star will face in Qatar.
On a 36-match unbeaten run, Argentina opens the group stage Tuesday against Saudi Arabia — the second lowest-ranked team at the tournament.
It seems like an ideal chance for Messi to push his international goals tally toward a century — he currently has 91 — in what’s surely a forlorn attempt to catch the leading men’s mark of 117, owned by great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
How Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni treats Messi for this game in particular, being staged in the 80,000-seat Lusail Iconic Stadium, might be instructive given the captain’s fitness has been managed heading into the World Cup.
Messi trained individually on Friday and Saturday because of what the Argentina soccer federation described as “muscle overload.” That raises doubts over whether Messi will play the full 90 minutes against Saudi Arabia.
Not that he should be needed that long.
The Saudis might have come through Asian qualifying relatively comfortably, but they tend to struggle on soccer’s highest stage, reaching the last 16 only once in their five appearances at the World Cup.
They started the 2018 tournament with a 5-0 loss to Russia, the host nation.
FIFA’s punishment threat forces European team captains to abandon ‘One Love’ armbands
FIFA’s threat of on-field punishment for players pushed World Cup teams to back down Monday and abandon a plan for their captains to wear armbands that were seen as a rebuke to host nation Qatar’s human rights record.
Just hours before the first players wearing the armbands in support of the “One Love” campaign were set to take the field, the governing body of soccer warned they would immediately be shown yellow cards — two of which lead to a player’s expulsion from that game and also the next.
That changed the calculus for the seven European teams, which may have expected to merely be fined. The displays are a violation of FIFA rules.
The standoff was just the latest dispute that threatened to overshadow play on the field. Since being awarded the World Cup hosting rights in 2010, conservative Muslim Qatar has faced a raft of criticism, including of its treatment of low-paid migrant workers and woman and its suppression of free speech. It came under particular fire for its criminalization of homosexuality.
The decision came three days after beer sales at stadiums were suddenly banned under pressure from the Qatari government and two days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino delivered an extraordinary tirade defending the host nation’s human rights record.
Read: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: England make strong statement with a thumping win over Iran
The captains of seven European nations had vowed to wear armbands carrying the heart-shaped, multi-colored logo of the “One Love” campaign, which promotes inclusion and diversity in soccer and society. That set up the prospect of viewers worldwide seeing a symbol of disapproval with the host country and defiance of FIFA on the arms of England’s Harry Kane, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Wales’ Gareth Bale on Monday.
But in the end, the teams said they couldn’t sacrifice success on the field.
“As national federations we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings,” the seven soccer federations said in a joint statement, referring to the yellow cards.
The captains of Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark had also pledged to wear the armbands in the coming days.
“Our number one priority at the World Cup is to win the games,” the Dutch soccer federation said in a separate statement. “Then you don’t want the captain to start the match with a yellow card.”
The risk of getting a second yellow, which would see a player sent off the field for the rest of the game and banned from the next, is particularly tricky in a tournament where teams play just three games before the knockout rounds begin.
National soccer federations and fan associations lashed out at FIFA for its decision to penalize the players. Danish soccer federation head Jakob Jensen told Danish broadcaster TV2 that the organization was ”extremely disappointed with FIFA,” and German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf called it “another low blow.”
“FIFA today prohibited a statement for diversity and human rights — those are values to which it is committed in its own statutes,” Neuendorf told reporters in Qatar. “From our point of view, this is more than frustrating and, I think, an unprecedented action in World Cup history.”
England’s Football Supporters Association said it felt betrayed by FIFA.
“Today we feel contempt for an organization that has shown its true values by giving the yellow card to players and the red card to tolerance,” the FSA said.
Read: Which European teams have the best chances of winning 2022 World Cup?
Gurchaten Sandhu, of the Geneva-based International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, said that FIFA put “athletes in a very, very awkward” position.
“You’ve bound the hands of the national teams. They’re there to compete,” he said.
He also took issue with Infantino’s defense of Qatar on Saturday, during which he lectured Europeans who have criticized the emirate’s human rights record and said he felt gay, like a woman and a like a migrant worker. Rights groups have criticized Qatar’s treatment of those three groups of people.
“You don’t feel gay. You are gay,” Sandhu said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what, if any, influence Qatar’s autocratic government had on the armband decision. The Qatari government and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the World Cup, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The European plans were in breach of World Cup regulations and FIFA’s general rules on team equipment at its games.
“For FIFA final competitions, the captain of each team must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA,” its equipment regulations state.
The soccer body’s proposal, announced Saturday, was for captains to wear armbands with socially aware, though generic, slogans. In that offer, armbands reading “No Discrimination” — the only one of its chosen slogan aligned with the European teams’ wish — would appear only at the quarterfinal stage.
On Monday, it offered a compromise, saying captains of all 32 teams “will have the opportunity” to wear an armband with the slogan “No Discrimination” in the group games.
Indy Cup Football: Sheikh Russel emerge group champions beating Mohammedan
Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra emerged Group A champions to reach the quarter final of the season's curtain raiser soocer meet, the Bashundhara Group Independent Cup Football' 2022 beating Dhaka Mohammedan SC by 3-0 goals in the last group match at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium in Gopalganj on Monday.
With the day's well merited victory, Sheikh Russel KC clinched the Group A title with unbeaten record securing seven points from all the three group encounters while the traditional black and while Dhaka Mohammedan also qualified for the quarterfinal as the Group A runners-up, collecting six points from three outings.
This was the first defeat for Mohammedan SC in the tourney after two consecutive wins--against Bangladesh Navy by 2-0 goals and Fortis SC by 3-1 goals while it was the 2nd successive win for Sheikh Russel KC after beating Bangladesh Navy by 2-0 goals in the previous match following their 1-1 draw with Fortis FC in the first match.
In the day's match, medio Brossou scored first for the Sheikh Russel KC in the very 2nd minute of the match (1-0), forward Mohammad Ibrahim doubled the margin in the 51st minute (2-0) while Nigerian striker Sunday Udoh sealed the fate of the match scoring the 3rd goal for the winners in the 59th minute (3-0).
In the day's other match, coming from behind, Fortis Football Academy tasted first victory in their 3rd match defeating all-losers Bangladesh Navy by 3-1 goals at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla Monday afternoon.
Afghan striker Amiruddin Sharifi struck twice in the 17th and 44th minutes while Brazilion player Luis Carlos netted the other goal for Fortis FC in the 61st minute.
Forward Shakawat Hossain scored the lone goal for the sailors' team in the very 7th minute of the match.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 : Argentina vs Saudi Arabia match schedule, prediction, possible line-up, where to watch live
One of the favourites, Argentina, will kick off their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign with a Group C match against Saudi Arabia tomorrow. Given the strength of the two sides, the Albiceleste should comfortably overcome this Asian team. Let's take a look at the Argentina vs Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match preview.
Qatar World Cup 2022 Match Preview: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia
Argentina are overwhelmingly favourites to finish at the top of Group C by winning all three matches. The two-time champions will be aiming for a strong start when they face Saudi Arabia in their opening fixture on Tuesday. Coach Lionel Scaloni can test his squad's strength by deploying some fringe players in the contest. Whoever plays, Argentina are expected to win big against Saudi Arabia.
Read More: Qatar World Cup: Biggest party or scam in the world?
Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, will expect to put on a fighting display against the Argentine side. Because winning this match would only be a dream for the Asian side. They will likely strengthen their backline by deploying a formation that is more defensive.
World Cup 2022: France faces midfield battle against Australia
Even without the injured Karim Benzema, defending World Cup champion France has plenty of attacking power.
Most teams would love to have either Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann or Olivier Giroud in their forward line, let alone all three. They have 119 international goals between them, plus an abundance of speed, craft, experience and skill.
But France does not have the same assurances in midfield, and that is where Australia could trouble Les Bleus on Tuesday in their opening Group D match.
France struggled to beat Australia 2-1 when the teams met in their World Cup opener four years ago, and that was with a full-strength midfield.
France coach Didier Deschamps is missing the injured N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba — his dynamic engine room from 2018. Pogba has played 91 times for France and one of his 11 goals came in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the 2018 final.
READ: Which European teams have the best chances of winning 2022 World Cup?
While Pogba’s form has been up and down since then, Kante’s consistency rarely ever dropped and he’s arguably an even bigger loss.
A tireless runner with an incredible ability to close down space, surface from anywhere to win the ball and then release it cleanly, Kante is one of the best defensive midfielders in world soccer. But he’s recovering from a hamstring operation and won’t add to his 53 international appearances.
So Deschamps faces Australia with a revamped midfield where the most experienced player is Adrien Rabiot — Pogba’s teammate at Italian club Juventus — with 29 appearances.
The 27-year-old Rabiot finally feels ready to emerge as France’s new midfield leader.
“When I played in the French youth teams, I was often more experienced than my teammates. Now I find myself in a similar position,” he said. “I feel that I’m able to help others, to lead by example. I like being in this position.”
England vs Iran FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where and how to watch online and on TV Channel, predicted XI
Know here all the details related to the live streaming of FIFA World Cup 2022 Group B match between England and Iran.
The biggest sporting event of the year FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 began on Sunday (November 20) England and Iran kick off day two of Qatar 2022 when they open up their World Cup campaigns at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. The World Cup 2022 Group B game between England and Iran starts on Monday 21 November 2022.
Appearing at a third straight finals for the first time in their history, Iran are once again led by head coach Carlos Queiroz, who was also in charge in 2014 and 2018. The Asians, who have never previously progressed from a World Cup group stage, will be facing England for the first time. Having reached the semi-finals at World Cup 2018 and been runners-up at Euro 2020, England’s aim is to go one better again.
Read more: England Squad analysis for 2022 World Cup
England vs Iran Live Streaming of FIFA World Cup 2022 Match live streaming : Here you can get all the details as to When, Where, and How you can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 between England and Iran Live Streaming
England take on Iran in the opening match of group B, with England dubbed big favourites over the Asian powerhouse.
Where and how to watch FIFA World Cup 2022 Iran vs England live
How to watch England vs Iran live stream in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh viewers can watch the match live on all of these channels: T Sports, PTE LTD and Viacom 18, and.
Bangladesh viewers can live stream online the World Cup games on Toffee, the digital platform powered by Banglalink.
Besides, many Facebook pages and YouTube channels also live the match.
Read More: Cristiano Ronaldo gambles on World Cup to restore reputation
How to watch England vs Iran live stream in India
In India, the World Cup is being televised on Sports18, but every game is being shown for free and in 4K via the JioCinema app. You can live stream Qatar vs Ecuador from 9.30pm IST on Sunday night.
Coverage is available in Hindi, English, Malayalam, Bengali and Tamil, and the JioCinema app is compatible with Chromecast, so you can get a big-screen experience.
Anyone outside of India who wants to watch their home World Cup coverage can just pick up a good VPN and follow the instructions above to safely live stream the action.
Read More: Can Messi and Ronaldo face each other in Qatar World Cup final?
How to watch England vs Iran live stream in Australia
Football fans in Australia can watch Qatar vs Ecuador, along with every World Cup 2022 game, on free-to-air SBS. You can tune in on TV or live stream Qatar vs Ecuador using SBS On Demand.
Just be warned that Qatar vs Ecuador kicks off at 3am AEDT in the early hours of Monday morning, with coverage beginning at 2am.
SBS on Demand is free to use and works on a range of smart devices including mobile phones, smart TVs and web browsers.
Read more: Which European teams have the best chances of winning 2022 World Cup?
How to watch England vs Iran: live stream World Cup 2022 soccer in the US without cable
Soccer fans in the US can watch Qatar vs Ecuador on FS1 and Peacock TV, with kick-off set for 11am ET / 8am PT on Sunday morning.
FS1 shares TV rights to the 2022 World Cup group stage with Fox, but Fox will be showing every game of the knockouts.
England vs Iran live stream without cable
If you don't have cable TV, a cord-cutting service is what you need for instant access to Fox and FS1. Sling Blue is the cheapest option. It's $40 per month but you can get your first month half-price with this discount.
FuboTV is another good option. It carries both Fox and FS1, and over 100 channels besides, and allows you to watch the World Cup 2022 in 4K HDR. It's more expensive at $69.99 a month, but first there's a FREE FuboTV trial.
Read More: Portugal Squad Analysis for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Every game of the World Cup is also being shown on Peacock TV, but the catch is that commentary will be in Spanish. To make up for that, Qatar vs Ecuador and a few other games are being shown for FREE. The Peacock price comes in at $4.99 a month and the service also offers live coverage of the NFL, EPL and WWE.
If you subscribe to Sling, Peacock or any other US streaming service, and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, consider using a VPN – we rate ExpressVPN as the best of the best.
How to watch England vs Iran live stream in UK
Football fans in the UK can watch a England vs Iran live stream for free on BBC iPlayer, along with many more World Cup 2022 games, as coverage of the tournament is split evenly between the BBC and ITV.
Read more: Message of inclusion imbues Qatar World Cup opening ceremony
England vs Iran kicks-off at 4pm GMT on Sunday afternoon, with coverage beginning at 3pm.
Every BBC game will be on BBC TV channels in HD and also live streamed on BBC iPlayer in glorious 4K HDR. Just make sure you possess a valid TV license and that your device is 4K-compatible with iPlayer.
Away from home in the UK right now? No worries:
Use ExpressVPN to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad.
BBC iPlayer is free to use and works across a wide range of devices including smart TVs, laptops, games consoles, mobile phones, tablets and streaming sticks. You can watch all the other World Cup 2022 live streams for free on ITV Hub.
Read More: Why Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal is priceless -- and unforgettable
How to watch England vs Iran live stream in Canada
TSN is the place to watch every 2022 World Cup soccer game in Canada. If you get the channel as part of your cable deal, you'll be able to log in with the details of your provider for access to a Qatar vs Ecuador live stream.
Kick-off is at 11am ET / 8am PT on Sunday morning, with coverage beginning at 9am ET / 6am PT.
If you don't have cable, you can subscribe to TSN on a streaming-only basis for $19.99 a month or $199.90 per year.
If you decide to subscribe, or already have, remember you can take your favorite sports streaming service with you wherever you go – just try our No. 1 overall rated VPN 100% risk-free for 30-days and follow the instructions
How to watch live England vs Iran Match live from Iran and other countries?
If you're abroad during World Cup 2022, and want to tune into your usual home coverage, you'll most likely find yourself geo-blocked and will need to use a VPN to unlock your access.
A VPN is a piece of software that allows you to change your apparent location and World 2022 live streams from any country and streaming service you need. They're easy to use and super-secure. We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN for streaming.
Read More: France Squad Analysis for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
What time and date will the FIFA World Cup 2022 England vs Iran match be played?
The FIFA World Cup 2022 match England vs Iran match will be played on Sunday - 21 November at 7:00 PM IST.
England vs Iran Playing IX
England projected starting 11 vs Iran
(3-4-2-1, right to left): 1. Pickford (GK) – 5. Stones, 15. Dier, 7. Maguire – 3. Shaw, 4. Rice, 22. Bellingham, 12. Trippier – 10. Sterling, 20. Foden – 9. Kane
Iran projected starting 11 vs England
(4-1-3-2, right to left): 1. Beiranvand (GK) – 2. Moharrami, 13. Kanaani, 19. Hosseini, 3. Hajsafi – 6. Ezatolahi – 17. Gholizadeh, 21. Nourollahi, 7. Jahanbakhsh – 9. Taremi, 10. Ansarifard.
Read More: Germany Squad Analysis for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
England Squad analysis for 2022 World Cup
It’s been 56 years since England won the World Cup. Although they approach the tournament with excellent players each World Cup, they fail to amaze the fans. But, this time, the team seems to have a good rhythm among the players. Under Gareth Southgate, England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy in a tiebreaker.
So, this time, can England play the ultimate game? Is England going to win the World Cup title after 56 years? The Three Lions are going to the World Cup for the seventh time in a row, and they will be joined by Wales and Iran from Qatar World Cup Group B.
England team announced for 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Role
Players
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Nick Pope (Newcastle)
Defenders
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Benjamin White (Arsenal), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Conor Coady (Everton), Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
Midfielders
Declan Rice (West Ham), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Forwards
Harry Kane (Tottenham), Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), James Maddison (Leicester City)
Read More: Which European teams have the best chances of winning 2022 World Cup?
English coach Southgate announced the 26-member team for the 22nd appearance of the World Cup. He announced the World Cup squad with regular faces on November 10. England has a very talented pool of players, but their recent form is not promising. Also, their creative options are not very desirable. Harry Kane, one of the best strikers in the world, is joined by young midfielders like Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
The only surprise in England’s World Cup team is Leicester City star, James Maddison. After three years, this English midfielder returned to the national team just before the World Cup. This time England is going to Qatar with a much-expected team.
Midfielder Kalvin Phillips has returned from injury. However, Harry Maguire survived in the World Cup team despite poor performance and various criticisms. However, Fikayo Tomori, Evan Toney, and Jared Bowen did not make the team.
Read More: Toffee set to livestream FIFA World Cup Qatar'2022 beginning on Sunday
This time, Jordan Pickford is getting the responsibility of handling the English goalpost. But Southgate may suffer in defense. With Reece James and Ben Chilwell sidelined due to injury, the English coach will have to rely on Maguire and Arnold, who are out of form.
However, the English attack is full of stars. With so many options, Southgate will face difficulties in making the starting XI.
England team analysis for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Although Brazil, Argentina, France, and Portugal are the favorites to win the World Cup, they are not the most expensive team. The most expensive team in terms of current market value is team England. Let’s see some of the expensive key players.
Harry Kane, forward
Not only England but Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world right now. He is now physically fit and injury-free. The 29-year-old striker has a physio working round the clock. He has been in good form for Tottenham.
Read More: Germany Squad Analysis for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
The biggest motivation for him will be to surpass Wayne Rooney, who scored 53 goals for the national team; just two more goals are needed to become England’s all-time leading scorer.
It will certainly surprise everyone if Harry does not surpass Rooney in Qatar. He was the joint-top scorer for non-penalty goals at Euro 2020 (4 with Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick). Joint top scorer in this year’s World Cup qualifiers (12 with Memphis Depay of the Netherlands).
Declan Rice, midfield
23-year-old West Ham captain Declan Rice is a regular member of the current England squad. He lets others play, and his ability to be in the right place at the right time has been an invaluable defensive asset for England.
Read More: France Squad Analysis for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
No one but Rice can give this defense to Gareth Southgate. His ability to win the ball and positional discipline will give Bellingham the power forward in attack. England’s attack will always rely on his efficient passing, so his success or failure will largely determine the future of the England team.
Benjamin White, defense
25-year-old Ben White, who plays in Arsenal, can play in all three positions, center back, right back, and defensive midfield. However, in this year’s World Cup, he may also have to play at left back due to injury. Because the team’s regular left-back, Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell, has been ruled out due to injury.
Jude Bellingham, midfield
Jude Bellingham is the only England player selected from outside the English league. The 19-year-old midfielder plays for Borussia Dortmund. He will play the biggest role in filling the lack of a creative midfielder in the team. Teams will look to him to get forward with the ball and make the final pass inside the penalty box.
Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022: Things you need to know
Phil Foden, forward
Manchester City’s 22-year-old Phil Foden is considered one of the best young players in the world. He plays on the left foot but can play on the right wing when the team needs it. Although he is not physically strong, the ball sticks to his feet like glue and can easily trick the opposition player. He is a natural talent and also plays in the ‘false nine’ position if the team needs it.
Final Words
But can the England team really go far? They have had no win in the last 6 Nations Cup matches. Lost 4 and drew 2. They were beaten 4-0 by Hungary in June. However, England has qualified for the World Cup by being the champion in Group ‘I’ in the European region in the World Cup-2022 qualifiers.
If everything goes well, such as if England becomes the group champion from Group B’ and, on the other hand, Senegal or Ecuador becomes the runner-up from Group ‘A’ then England will not face difficulties in defeating Senegal or Ecuador in the second round. But in that case, they will likely face France in the quarter-finals. And the farewell bell for the English team in Qatar World Cup can ring from there.
Read More: Why Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal is priceless -- and unforgettable.