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A day four years in the making has finally arrived. For the first time since the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. men’s national team will play in the tournament. With a young, talented team, the USMNT’s game against Gareth Bale and Wales on Monday will set the tone for a challenging, but manageable, Group B.
Elsewhere in the group, England and Iran start things off at 8 a.m. ET. Senegal, without superstar Sadio Mane due to injury, faces the 2010 World Cup runner-up Netherlands.
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Iran didn’t sing national anthem, England takes knee before kickoff
The political situation back home has been a regular line of questioning for Iran ahead of the team’s opening Group B match against England.
Large swathes of people in the country have risen up to protest for women’s rights following the death of Mahsa Amini while being detained for allegedly breaking rules regarding head coverings.
“We have to accept that the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy,” Iran captain Ehsan Hajisafi said. “We are here, but it does not mean that we should not be their voice or we should not respect them.
“Whatever we are is from them. We have to fight. We have to perform the best we can and score goals and to present the bereaved people of Iran with the results. And I hope that the conditions change towards the expectations of the people.”
The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they have declined an invitation from FIFA to attend the World Cup.
Contributing: Associated Press
Scenes from England vs. Iran, reports of ticket app issues
Journalists at Khalifa International Stadium report a possible issue with FIFA’s ticketing application, causing lines outside the stadium.
Starting lineups for England vs. Iran
With many names familiar to the English Premier League fan, England takes the field led by captain Harry Kane. Iran’s captain Ehsan Hajsafi plays left back for Greek Super League club AEK Athens, and their starting striker Mehdi Taremi is a top-five scorer in Portugal for FC Porto.
Joe Biden wishes USMNT luck ahead of opening game vs. Wales
On the eve of the World Cup, the USMNT got a pep talk from none other than the POTUS himself.
U.S. President Joe Biden, from his desk in the Oval Office, was connected to a phone held by USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter in a room filled with the entire team.
“I know you’re the underdog, but I tell you what man, you got some of the best players in the world on your team,” Biden said in a video posted by the team on Twitter.
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Following FIFA’s threat of yellow cards for any players wearing the “OneLove” armbands during the World Cup, the federations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland have asked their captains not to wear them. The Netherlands, England and Wales open play Monday.
“We can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games,” the federations said in a joint statement Monday.
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.”
FIFA said Monday that all captains are now allowed to wear its “No Discrimination” armbands. The armbands for that campaign, which was not supposed to begin until the quarterfinals, are blue, with the red outline of a heart around a soccer ball and the words “Football Unites the World.”
MORE: World Cup teams ask captains not to wear ‘OneLove’ armbands after dispute with FIFA
England vs. Iran — 8 a.m.
Is it coming home?
England has a history of going into tournaments confident and leaving with its tail between its legs, though, recent success has turned the tides in its favor. The Three Lions came in fourth in the 2018 World Cup and second in the 2020 European Championship. But the men are still searching for their first major trophy since winning the World Cup in 1966.
Captain Harry Kane is two goals away from surpassing Wayne Rooney’s all-time goalscoring record. Meanwhile, Iran has a quality forward of its own in Mehdi Taremi. The striker, 30, plays in Portugal and has 13 goals in 18 games.
Time: Monday, Nov. 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar
How to watch: FOX and Telemundo or stream on fuboTV and Peacock
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup live updates: England faces Iran; USMNT returns versus Wales
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