England

Jordan Pickford says the England players are ready for their opening match against Iran despite the quick turnaround from their final Premier League matches last weekend.

"It has been a quicker week than it would be during a summer World Cup, you don’t have that 25-day lead-up to the first game," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It’s a week turnover but we got out here nice and early, adapted to the heat as quick as we can but for me I’m ready for it and excited to get out there and play the first game.

“I went into my first World Cup with only three caps but I knew I was ready to play and I felt I did well at that tournament. I took that on into the Euros and now into my second World Cup. I’m really excited and ready to put that shirt on, it is always a proud moment for me and my family."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Doha

Iran coach Carlos Quieroz was pouring honey over England in his pre-match media briefing, relaxed and smiling as he delivered a prolonged message of flattery to Gareth Southgate and his players.

The wise and experienced former Manchester United assistant manager and now the most significant figure in the history of Iranian football will be a dangerous adversary and he will probe England's weaknesses with as much relishes as he delivered praise.

Quieroz described England as "the most competitive since 1966" and hailed the mentality, saying: "I worked with the generation of Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and David Beckham but this national team is really different because they have a realistic to any single game which makes them very, very dangerous."

Gareth Southgate is up later as the final formalities are completed before England's World Cup campaign starts.

England manager Gareth Southgate says his team are aiming to go "one step further" at the World Cup, after losing in the Euro 2020 final.

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Apart from Joe Allen's absence, which you can read about here, Wales have no other fitness worries as they prepare for their opener against the United States tomorrow.

Image source, Getty Images

England

Jordan Pickford has been reflecting on his England journey as he prepares for his third major tournament with the Three Lions.

The Everton goalkeeper has 45 caps, which means he could reach 50 caps in Qatar if England reach the quarter-finals.

“It would be unbelievable for me," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The journey I’ve been on since I was a six-year-old lad playing on the streets with my brother and his mates, going in goal on the tarmac. And then on to Sunderland, that journey I’ve been on with my family it’s amazing.

"But lets take it one step at a time, the first group game is tomorrow. Let’s get the win and keep looking forward."

Image source, Getty Images

England

Gareth Southgate says he has to now put the controversies about the Qatar World Cup to one side and focus on the football.

"We have answered questions on it for the last 18 months," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "My job now is to make the players excited for a tournament they have waited their whole lives to be a part of.

"I have to think about the football now. I am manager of my country and I think the supporters would expect me to focus on the team and ensure they are in the right headspace for the game.

"We could end up in a really negative cycle if we chose to take on board everything that is being discussed and highlighted.

"We don’t want to be in that space, we have to be a positive team with a positive mindset and the focus at this moment, the day before the next game, has to be on the football."

England

Gareth Southgate has backed Raheem Sterling and Harry Maguire to perform in Qatar, saying their experience of big tournaments is key even if they head into the World Cup not in the best of form.

“We have to consider so many things when you are selecting a team," Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live. "There’s the balance of the group. There’s definitely experience in these moments that’s key because not every player knows what it feels like to carry the England team.

"Sometimes you don’t know how people are going to respond to that until they are in there and some don’t cope. The likes of Raheem and Harry have thrived in that spotlight and they are used to being relied upon for their clubs as well."

England

Gareth Southgate has confirmed that James Maddison and Kyle Walker will miss Monday's World Cup opener against Iran through injury.

Walker is working his way back to fitness after groin surgery, while Maddison has yet to train since arriving in Qatar after picking up a knee problem playing for Leicester last weekend.

"Kyle Walker is a little bit short for this game but is progressing really well. We are ahead of where we thought he might be at this point," Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"James hasn’t been able to train since we arrived so he will not be able to make the game tomorrow.”

Want to know more about the eight World Cup stadiums and their construction?

The BBC Sport Twitter account has a thread with all the info you need.

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

More from Iran boss Carlos Queiroz: “It is the most important games of our lives, firstly because it is the next one, but also because it is unique in that it is the first time I have played against England,

"To play against England for our players is like magic, because for most of our players to play against England is impossible. For them it is like a life dream, from watching the game on television as kids, To play against these players is a dream."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Doha

Iran coach Carlos Quieroz has plenty of Premier League experience and is a firm fan of the England team as he says: "They have a storm of talent."

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

Iran boss Carlos Queiroz, said: "Our expectations are the same, we play each game with one aim in mind, to win and to play good football and provide some entertainment. This is our goal, game by game.

"We know tomorrow is a very difficult game against England but we are looking to collect the number of points needed to make it to the second round that is our dream. We have that desire in our minds.

"What can I say about England? One of the top national teams in the world. They are serious candidates to be in the final position, why not a contender to be the world champion? They reached wonderful position in the last World Cup and Europeans."

You know what this page needs? World Cup goals? How about some of the best from two decades of World Cups?

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Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

Iran boss Carlos Queiroz is about to start his pre England match news conference. Plenty of English journalists in the auditorium ready to quiz him.

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales in Doha

And that's a wrap from Gareth Bale.

Next time we see him he'll be captaining Wales at a World Cup. That's quite a nice thing to write.

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales in Doha

Gareth Bale has been beaming throughout this news conference.

You can tell how excited he is about the prospect of captaining Wales at their first World Cup for 64 years.

“Every World Cup there’s never been a Wales flag," says Bale.

“For youngsters growing up now, to have Wales at a World Cup, they might not realise it now but it’s an incredible experience to have.”

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales in Doha

A Spanish journalist asking Gareth Bale about golf? Sounds familiar.

No apparent Real Madrid axe to grind this time though, as Bale is asked what it is about the sport he enjoys.

“Mentally, it’s always been somewhere for me to get away from football, the pressure, the intensity of everyday life," ehe says.

“You get to be there with friends, there’s peace and quiet and no cameras.”

Image source, Getty Images

When you've got the final F1 race of the season in Abu Dhabi at 1pm and then the first game of the World Cup in nearby Qatar three hours later...