Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport

Mozambique-born Carlos Queiroz is now in his second spell with Iran, with his first between April 2011 and January 2019 the longest managerial reign in the history of 'Team Melli'.

During that time his side set a record of 1,121 minutes without conceding a goal to qualify for Russia in 2018.

Those same defensive qualities were also evident in an impressive qualification campaign for Qatar that saw them concede just four times before Queiroz was reappointed in September.

"When people say 'you play very solid, very defensive' - no we need full concentration, full determination and to be organised when we don't have the ball. That's the way we should play the game because we don't have easy guys in front of us," added Queiroz.

"The important thing is to know that sooner or later they will not have the ball. We should play the game when we don't have the ball with a winning mentality.

"The expectations of fans are not higher than the expectations we have. We have powerful expectations. We don't need the fans, the press to tell us.

"Every single morning the thing I tell my players is you need to beat yourself, you need to be better than yesterday. So when you have the players thinking in this way you relax."

Image source, .

Iran captain Ehsan Hajsafi spoke out against the situation in his home country before his nation's opening game against England at the World Cup.

Violent anti-government protests in Iran have been met with a fierce crackdown in recent months.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday's game in Qatar, the 32-year-old said the players "support" those who have died.

"We have to accept that the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy," he said.

Human rights activists have said more than 400 protesters have been killed and 16,800 others arrested in a crackdown by security forces.

Iran's leaders say the protests are "riots" orchestrated by the country's foreign enemies.

"Before anything else, I would like to express my condolences to all of the bereaved families in Iran," defender Hajsafi said at the start of the news conference.

"They should know that we are with them, we support them and we sympathise with them."

Image source, Getty Images

Carlos Queiroz. You remember him, right? Well, you're about to see a bit more of the man who was Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant for a couple of spells in the 2000s, either side of being Real Madrid gaffer.

The Portuguese is Iran boss, enjoying a second spell with the country as part of a run of national gigs that has also included Portugal, Colombia and Egypt, and he'll be plotting England's downfall today.

Queiroz says he has never seen "players who deliver so much with so little" as he takes charge of Iran for a third consecutive World Cup.

"The most important thing is not to make the other teams bigger than they are and we cannot be smaller than we are," Queiroz told BBC Sport.

"I have worked in many countries, worked with many great players - I have never seen in my life players who deliver so much with so little."

England

England manager Gareth Southgate speaking on BBC One:

"We've maximised the time - we've spent the first part of the week exciting people about being at the World Cup and the latter part on the training pitch. Pleased with the way the players have approached everything."

On team selection: "You're always looking at the opponent - we feel this is a strong team and a strong way to start. We've got great depth to come in as well which we will need and we want to be positive and play on the front foot.

On which armband Harry Kane will wear: "A lot of discussions without me because I've been focusing on the game. We're wearing the Fifa armband decided by collective federations overnight I believe - we're in the middle of all that but really trying to focus on the game frankly."

Micah Richards
Former England defender on BBC One

Phil Foden has been in such good form for Manchester City, he has played a more advanced role. Today it looks like Mason Mount is going to play in that midfield area. That's probably the one surprise in there.

Maguire has been faultless. We talk about trust. When a manager trusts you, he is trying to create that environment when you come away with England. He's not let England down so I can understand why he is starting.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Qatar

England's players have been seeking respite from Doha's searing heat by sticking their heads in what they have labelled 'the heat shack' at the Al Wakrah Sports Complex training headquarters.

The large fan blasting out cold air is a glorious relief after the intensive training sessions carried out under the gaze of manager Gareth Southgate and assistant Steve Holland at the 12,000-capacity Saoud Abdulrahman Stadium.

Now, however, is the time for the serious business to begin and there will be no escape from the furnace or the expectation in the unforgiving environment of World Cup combat when they open their campaign against Iran in the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.

Read more here.

Image source, .

This World Cup is Gareth Southgate's moment - it's the culmination of everything he has done since he was appointed England manager in 2016.

Reaching the semi-finals at his first major tournament, in Russia four years ago, was a bonus. England's run to the final of last year's European Championship felt much more methodical and planned out by him.

As part of that process, he has created this club environment in the international set-up and stuck with players that people have been telling him not to.

Now we are in Qatar and it's like everything he has been telling us about this team has to come together.

This is the moment to deliver and they are capable of doing that, so I am feeling very excited about their World Cup getting under way.

Read more here.

BBC Sport asked its pundits who will win the World Cup. These are the results...

Brazil (7): Micah Richards, Alex Scott, Ashley Williams, Gabby Logan, Jurgen Klinsmann, Rio Ferdinand, Karen Bardsley, Matthew Upson, Rob Green

Argentina (3):Alan Shearer, Jermaine Jenas, Danny Murphy

France (2): Chris Sutton, Danny Gabbidon

England (1): Fara Williams

Read their thoughts here.

Rio Ferdinand
Former England defender on BBC One

Southgate has faith in Maguire and that goes back to the experiences he has had with him in tournament football, he's been impeccable in an England shirt, he's been faultless. He was in the team of the tournament in the last one.

Yes he hasn't been in form for Manchester United but you can see there's a special relationship that's been built through time and experience with Gareth Southgate.

Rhia Chohan
BBC Sport in Qatar

I’ve just walked in to the Red Lion Pub, and it’s absolutely heaving. All the tables are fully booked… like it says on the tin, it’s very much a pub. If it wasn’t for the heat, I could easily be in the Millstone in Manchester’s Northern Quarter (pre smoking ban!).

Once you wade through the cloud of smoke and England shirts, you can see it’s full of plenty of Wales fans too. Bucket hats aplenty! Everyone breaks into EN-GER-LAND every now and again.

The manager Steve says the atmosphere has been amazing. “We’re trying to embrace everyone. Yesterday we turned away people without bookings and the other night we had people singing Delilah in one corner and Three Lions in the other.”

Most England fans here have tickets I’m told and will get taxis to the stadium. We’ll chance the Metro instead!

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

England certainly wouldn't want the distraction of whether they are wearing the One Love armband or not, I don't think that's particularly fair on them. The great work that they have done, for a long time now, particularly during the pandemic, has to be admired.

But they can now look at the football, realise that they are in a World Cup setting. This first game, you've got to get out there and you've got to try and do as well as you can. It's going to be a difficult game, there's absolutely no doubt about that, so I'm sure they understand that. I don't care who you're playing, you're in for a difficult game.

Normally you have a month to look forward to the World Cup, in normal circumstances, this is anything but so they haven't had time to get nervous or edgy or anything like that. It's just basically straight into it and try and win the game.

Micah Richards
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's very difficult because when you come into this squad, people like Maguire, there's going to be question marks about whether he will start or not but he's not let England down. So if we're talking about form for England, he should be starting. If we take that into the Premier League, we know he's had a difficult season and that is going to be the balance for Southgate, whether to play players in form or players who have performed well for him in the past.

They've done very well at the Euros. But these are the decisions because if you go into a tournament or any game and you're not up to speed, you just have to grow in that confidence. Iran today have some good players so it's about getting that confidence and the manager deciding who he can trust the most for the first game.

Micah Richards
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

There's no problem with Kane coming deep, if he does that today. He is going to have to at times, Iran are going to sit deep and he will want to drop deep to play other people down the channels. We must have willing runners. Sometimes players can get frustrated when they're not getting on the ball but it's about making space for others and that's what Kane does.

I wouldn't take that out of the game. For a centre back trying to mark him, it is so difficult, because he takes you in areas where you don't want to go. Not just forward players, we need midfield runners as well, they have got to chip in with goals as well and I think that will be the difference between winning and losing this game today.

England were actually technically unbeaten in 2021, with the loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final being on penalties.

From the 4-0 win over Iceland in the Nations League on 18 November 2020 to the 3-0 victory over Ivory Coast in March of this year, England went 22 games without defeat.

Since then, though, Southgate's side are without a win in six. The most recent Nations League campaign was a disaster, ending with the 3-3 draw in Germany and resulting in relegation.

Four years ago, Gareth Southgate and his team rocked up in Russia, looking to bring a bit of dignity back to a country that had taken a bit of battering on the international stage. I think it's fair to say they surpassed expectation.

OK, so the country wasn't exactly optimistic after the snuck past Tunisia in the opening game, but then came this...

And a penalty shootout win. Yes, a win. In a penalty shootout...

Remember when everyone loved Dele Alli and Harry Maguire?

But then came Croatia. And extra-time. And Mario Mandzukic.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC One

I'm pleased Gareth Southgate has gone with a back four, that was the right thing to do. The big decision was who was going to play along John Stones, we know how loyal Gareth is to his players and he's been very loyal to Harry Maguire in doing that.

I like the tournament experience in that squad, but I also like the youth in there.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport in Doha

I've just been to speak to Germany's 1990 World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus here in Doha.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder said: "Bellingham is a player who reminds me of myself, he can play at number eight or 10. He is excellent and will not stay at Borussia Dortmund. All the Premier League clubs and Spain want him in their team.

"He has a good mentality, is physically strong at just 19 years old. He has confidence and he shows it. Bellingham is a man."

Asked where he thinks Bellingham will move, Matthaus - a Fifa ambassador for the tournament - replied: "You ask him!

"But he can go to Real Madrid or five, six clubs in England who can pay for him. Other clubs can't pay the fee him because they don't have so much money.

"But then you have clubs like Barcelona who have no money but can sign Robert Lewandowski."

Gareth Southgate hopes England can go on a "fantastic journey" at the World Cup to bring "real happiness" to the nation.

The Three Lions begin their World Cup campaign against Iran today.

"Our challenge is to give our supporters a tournament that is memorable," said boss Southgate.

"Our country is going through a difficult spell, in the middle of an economic recession and life has been difficult for a lot of people."

Southgate added: "We want them to have a journey with the team that brings real happiness."

Ronaldo is in Doha...

Image source, BBC.

So are Charles and Camilla...