Wales

On whether he and his staff share concerns with training and playing in Qatar's heat: "It is going to be a factor tomorrow - it is going to be the hottest part of the day.

"When we first got here it was 31°C. We tweaked it that we trained at 16:00 (local time) rather than 13:00.

"But this week we've had to get used to the heat."

Wales

Rob Page was asked a couple of questions about the fitness and performance of captain Gareth Bale.

On his performance against the USA, he said: " It wasn't one of his better games but when you need him, he delivers for you.

"If you want anyone then it's Gareth Bale taking that penalty. He's done it time and time again so he deserves all the credit he's getting at the minute.

Page added the forward is "fit and raring to go", describing him as the "ultimate professional" who has "not stopped" since the opening match.

"He's been recovering doing his own little bits and he'll be ready at the start of that game."

Wales

Speaking about the need for a goal against Iran to boost their goal difference, he said: "First and foremost we want to win.

"That'll be the approach and then it might come down to goal difference.

"If you think back to the Euros we went into the Italy game with a three or four goal swing.

"We can't get too far ahead we just have to think about the game and getting the three points."

Wales

On what Joe Allen has done to be in the plans as he recovered from his injury: "The medical team have been exceptional with him.

"He is fit and raring to go.

"We were all concerned about the extent of the injury. They've met every target along the way and pushed him to 100%."

Wales

On opponents Iran, Page said: "Iran are going to want to have a reaction.

"They would have looked at the fixtures and forecast where points are going to come from.

"Both teams need to win, and we want to win too, so it should make for an entertaining game."

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales in Doha

"We’ve got a few tired bodies, a few go down with cramp," says Page.

"Joe Allen is fit and raring to go. We’ve got a decision to make on that – what’s best for the team."

Wales boss Rob Page has just arrived and sat down to face the media.

Let's see what he has to say then!

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Mexican and Argentine soccer fans at the 2022 Qatar World Cup exchanged kicks, punches and insults in a "pitched battle" in the Qatari capital Doha during the night of 23 November, Mexican and Argentine media reported on 24 November.

The reports, which cited and published "viral" social media videos of the clashes, highlighted that local authorities did not intervene to break up the fights.

"Mexicans and Argentines took part in pitched battle on the streets of Qatar," was the banner headline carried by leading Mexican daily El Universal, external on its online front page.

"In the images persons of both nationalities can be seen exchanging blows and insults. The police did not appear at all," El Universal reported.

Top Argentine daily La Nacion, external said in its report the rival fans "clashed violently with punches, kicks and insults in several episodes". "There were various persons injured," it added. La Nacion spoke of "disturbances in different points of Doha" caused by the Argentine and Mexican fans.

"Witnesses said the local authorities did not intervene," La Nacion reported.

Argentina and Mexico are long-time soccer rivals and are due to play against each other at the Qatar World Cup on 26 November.

We're expecting to hear from this man very soon ...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Wales had the rainbow flag on prominent display at their training base in Qatar on Wednesday, sending a defiant message to World Cup organisers.

There were pre-tournament promises that teams and fans would be able to show support of LGBTQ+ rights in the Gulf state, where homosexuality is illegal.

But a last-minute U-turn saw captain Gareth Bale warned against wearing a OneLove armband or he could be booked.

The Football Association of Wales chief said the players had been silenced.

In an interview with ITV, Noel Mooney said he was "furious" with Fifa's late decision to threaten players from Wales, England and other European nations with sporting sanctions if they wore the armband.

"To lay that one on us is pretty cheap and pretty low, to be frank. We are really disappointed by that attitude.

"We have been absolutely furious about this. We have given Fifa everything we have got in terms of how furious we are about this decision. We think it was a terrible decision.

"We didn't back down. We had to look at the sporting sanction that was there.

"We had said we would accept fines, whatever sanctions came, but when it turned at the very last moment to specific sporting sanctions that would have stopped our players taking the field of play potentially, that is a different thing. It was done so late."

Read what else Noel Mooney had to say here

Danny Gabbidon
BBC Sport columnist

Image source, BBC Sport

Whatever Iran try to do, our aim has to be to dominate possession against them the way England did, and play the game in their half.

Unfortunately, I don't think the 3-5-2 formation we started with against the US will help us do that.

It's not fluid whether we're in or out of possession, and our players don't have enough options in different areas when they do get on the ball - the wing-backs, for example, don't have anyone wide in front of them so they have to play the ball back to a centre-half if a quick ball inside into midfield isn't on.

So, I'd go with the same 4-4-2 shape I was hoping we'd start with in the first game, with Johnson and James getting forward to make it a 4-2-3-1 when we've got the ball.

Then you have Neco Williams and Connor Roberts feeding them and also looking to go on the overlap like Luke Shaw and Kieran Trippier did for England. Suddenly we are a much more dangerous-looking team.

Image source, Getty Images

The grandmother of Welsh midfielder Dylan Levitt, described being in Qatar as "absolutely riveting" and "brilliant."

Speaking after Wales' draw with the USA, Jackie said: "I’ve never ever experienced anything like this, it’s brilliant, absolutely riveting.

"There is so much well-wishing everywhere. Everyone wants us to do well, even all of the other countries.

"They pointed out Wales, and they really wish us well and it’s appreciated."

On whether she thinks the team will win against Iran, she said: "I hope so yes, that’s the feeling from the fans and everybody we’ve spoke to.

"Everybody’s confident and I just wish them the best."

After Monday's game, she managed to catch her grandson for an hour stroll, where she said he’s "laid back, taking it all in and enjoying the experience" as well.

"The team spirit is superb and everything is going their way hopefully."

Danny Gabbidon
BBC Sport columnist

It won't be easy for Wales against Iran, but we have to win - and we can learn from England to get the result we need.

I know we don't have the same quality throughout our team that England do, but the way they got their 6-2 win still has to be the blueprint for Rob Page in Friday's game.

I am talking about the tempo they set and how they moved the ball quickly, got it into wide areas and then delivered it into the box.

They kept putting the Iran defence under pressure, kept asking them questions… and we saw what happened in the end

We have got the players to do that too, but we will need the right formation to build attacks the way I want us to, and for me that means switching to four at the back - again, exactly like England did.

Whatever Page's plan is, Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and - hopefully - Joe Allen will play a crucial role in making it work, but they are all in their 30s now, and they cannot do it on their own.

So, we have to pick people around them with energy to give us the intensity we need and it is a case of having our brains in the middle of the pitch and our legs out wide.

Brennan Johnson and Daniel James are young, fearless and hungry. Let's be positive, and let them loose to run at Iran's defence to do some damage the way the likes of Bukayo Saka did for Gareth Southgate's side on Monday.

Image source, Getty Images

Winger Harry Wilson says Wales will face an Iran side eager to respond when they meet on Friday.

Iran were thrashed 6-2 by England in their opening game on Monday.

The 25-year-old said: "They will be looking for a reaction and I think that is what we are going to see.

"It will be up to us to make sure we are on form to try and get the three points."

Although England lead the group thanks to their fine opening win, Wales and the USA each have one point following their 1-1 draw.

Wales went behind to Tim Weah's first-half goal but fought back thanks to a Gareth Bale penalty.

"He drags us through tough games and got his goal," said Wilson.

"He deserves to be on this stage for what he has done at club level over the years and also what he has done for our country as well.

"His performances over the years, I think he deserves to play at the World Cup on the world stage before he retires."

He's been out training with the team this morning, but he'll be facing the media shortly.

We're expecting to hear from the captain and Wales boss Rob Page within the next hour.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Take a look at these full-time scenes ...

Don't you just love a World Cup upset?!

Image source, Getty Images

An England supporters group have commended Germany's covered mouth protest against FIFA, over the "OneLove" anti-discrimination armband.

The German team covered their mouths for the team photo before their opening World Cup match against Japan yesterday to show they feel silenced by FIFA's threat of sporting sanctions over the wearing of the armband.

Seven European nations, including Germany and England, planned on wearing the armbands before halting their plans on Monday.

Ashley Brown, from the Football Supporters' Association England Fans' Embassy, said: "For all its corporate messaging around diversity and everyone being welcome, FIFA capitulated to intolerance when it banned players from wearing the One Love armband."

"Such was FIFA's timing, falling on the morning of England's World Cup opener, that players had little time to react and, understandably, by that stage were in game mode.

"Germany obviously had a little more time to think about how they would make their statement and they're to be commended for making such an impactful and meaningful gesture."

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at Khalifa International Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Football has a funny way of bringing up narratives, and two Japan players - who play their club football in Germany - conspired to score the goals that defeated the Europeans 2-1 at the World Cup.

"It is a dream come true," winning goalscorer Takuma Asano told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We knew we could do it, we had a dream like this.

"We watched the Saudi game and thought we can do it - then we just did it today."

Skipper and former Southampton defender Maya Yoshida said: "Big win, massive win. But it is still tough to go through. It is absolutely amazing though, we have to be humble and very careful.

"We present Asia and many supporters from Asia supporting us today. This is the beauty of football."

Image source, Getty Images

Dan Orlowitz, a journalist for the Japan Times, told BBC Radio 5 Live there are a lot of "bleary eyes and canned coffee’s in offices across the country" today, as Japan celebrated it’s 2-1 win over Germany.

Reflecting on Japan’s performance he said: "I think that everyone knows how talented this team is and how much potential there was among these players, we just didn’t know if it would click the way it did in that second half.

"All they need to do now is get a win against Costa Rica, and I’m pretty sure that no matter how the Germany v Spain result goes, that will pinch Japan’s spot in the last 16.

"Nothing is guaranteed but you have to be looking positive right now and once they get to the knockouts anything can happen."

As you can imagine, the mood in Japan is slightly different!