World Cup

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World Cup | Group Stage

Nov 21, 2022 at 1pm UK

Wembley Stadium

England
6 - 2
Iran

Bellingham (35'), Saka (43', 62'), Sterling (45+1'), Rashford (71'), Grealish (90')

FT(HT: 3-0)

Taremi (65', 90+13' pen.)
Jahanbakhsh (25'), Pouraliganji (48')

England vs. Iran: How do the two managers compare ahead of World Cup opener?

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter

Published: November 21 2022 | 10:37

Ahead of the World Cup Group B opener between England and Iran, Sports Mole takes a closer look at both managers - Gareth Southgate and Carlos Queiroz.

Two familiar names will face off in the dugout when England take on Iran in their World Cup curtain-raiser at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.

Gareth Southgate will lead the Three Lions into a third successive major tournament, having never failed to make it to the semi-finals so far and fallen just short of ending their wait for silverware last summer.

Iran, meanwhile, are lead by former Real Madrid boss and Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz, who was only appointed in September.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at both managers.

ENGLAND - GARETH SOUTHGATE

England manager Gareth Southgate on September 23, 2022 © Reuters

Only three months after it was reported that he had no interest in leaving his role with the Under-21s to take over from Roy Hodgson at the helm, Gareth Southgate OBE was thrust into the limelight in the wake of Sam Allardyce's acrimonious departure.

Over the past six years, Southgate has won 48, drawn 14 and lost 14 of his 76 international matches in charge of England, who have hit new heights and new lows under the former defender.

Seeking to restore order to Wembley in the wake of the English football corruption scandal, Southgate has seen a host of individual accolades come his way after guiding the Three Lions to memorable finishes at their last two major tournaments, being named the Coach of the Year at the BBC Sports Personality awards in 2018 and 2021.

A semi-final finish at the 2018 World Cup preceded penalty-shootout heartbreak at the Euro 2020 final - Southgate knows all about that from his playing days with England of course - but the 52-year-old is in his own elite crowd of national team managers.

Only Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson also reached the semi-finals of the World Cup with England, and no manager before Southgate took the Three Lions all the way to the final of the European Championships, but it has not been all plain sailing for the former Middlesbrough boss.

Southgate's squad selections, tactics, starting lineups and substitutions will forever be scrutinised under a microscope, and plenty feel that his powers over this England squad are starting to wane, and he is under no illusions that his contract until 2024 will not protect him if the Three Lions flatter to deceive in Qatar.

IRAN - CARLOS QUEIROZ

Carlos Queiroz was only hired as Iran's manager in September after the surprise sacking of Dragan Skocic, who had enjoyed a successful two-and-a-half-year spell with Team Melli.

However, Queiroz is a hugely popular figure in Iran having overseen their development as a footballing nation for almost eight years between 2011 and 2019, taking them to only their fourth-ever World Cup in 2014 before guiding them to only their second-ever win in the competition four years later.

The former Manchester United assistant manager fell short of winning the Asian Cup, though, having reached the quarter-finals in 2015 before going one step further by crashing out at the semi-finals four years later.

Likewise, the 69-year-old was beaten on penalties by Senegal as Egypt manager in the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier this year, although taking a distinctly limited outfit - Liverpool's Mohamed Salah aside - that far was a triumph in itself.