It’s a football tournament, the World Cup – any child can tell you as much. But has there ever been an international tournament where politics haven’t played their part in shaping the events on the pitch? Wars and tensions at least make a world of difference in the heads of those watching.When the World Cup draw was made, a few people said: “What, again?!” when they saw the composition of Group B. England against the United States again!? Oh, OK. And Wales, a country that’s a part of the United Kingdom, to make the group feel homely. Those three sets of players and fans will have no problems understanding each other, of course – with all of them being from English-speaking countries. There is no doubt they’ll chat about what’s happening in Iran these days. Protests, crises, tensions and all those things almost make football feel irrelevant – at least until the World Cup starts. So, who’s who? And is this England’s year?##NAJAVA_MECA_6816074##Gareth Southgate picked his squad of 26 players with the nation largely pessimistic about the Three Lions’ chances. Four years ago in Russia, they reached the semi-final and ultimately finished the competition as the fourth-placed team. Last year, they lost the European Championship final at Wembley Stadium. Those defeats put a big question mark over Southgate and his team. Are they ever going to win, or will they continue to settle with the role of graceful runners-up? This tournament will provide us with the answer to that question. Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jordan Henderson, Mason Mount – all those players have the quality to compete with the top teams. However, the backline featuring Harry Maguire, John Stones and Eric Dier, three players whose form hasn’t been good enough this year, is a big worry. But there isn’t a better time or place to prove your doubters wrong.Captain Bale 100 per cent fit to lead his Dragons at the first World Cup since 1958The Americans and their “soccer” national team are a mystery. You can never quite be sure what to expect of them. This time, the Yanks have the youngest team in the tournament, making them a bit more unpredictable. Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna will get their first true test against elite opposition on the international level. Coach Gregg Berhalter would be delighted if they could get one of the top two spots in their group, especially after they’d failed to qualify for the previous tournament altogether.Goal Number 3: Iran vs. USA. 1998 World Cup. Hamid Estili. #Iran pic.twitter.com/c5KQSK7VYQ— Reza H. Akbari (@rezahakbari) November 15, 2022 It has been 58 years since the Welsh enjoyed their only World Cup appearance, so just seeing them on the biggest stage is a novelty. As important as their opening match against the United States is, the game against England is Wales’ World Cup final. Is there anything better than beating your smug neighbours? But the proud Welsh are sure to make it a special month. Their fans are incredibly loyal and passionate – and they are probably going to be one of the noisiest ones. Gareth Bale’s career has passed its peak, but make no mistake – the 33-year-old former Real Madrid star is still one amazing player. And he’s got national pride in abundance. Motivation is one of the most valuable assets in these tournaments and the Welsh Dragons are brimming with it.##NAJAVA_MECA_6816252##Iran arrive to Qatar, leaving many problems back home. Political and social tensions, protests for women’s rights and freedoms, violence against the government, punishments for unacceptable social media posts, etc., don’t make Iran a happy place. Which really is sad, because they have got a football team to be proud of. They have got Sardar Azmoun, the player nicknamed The Iranian Messi, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, Feyenoord’s explosive winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Porto’s deadly forward Mehdi Taremi to name a few – and are coached by the highly experienced Portuguese Carlos Queiroz. We already mentioned politics far too many times here, so here it comes again. When Iran beat their enemy USA in the 1998 World Cup, they were treated as national heroes despite losing the other two group-stage matches and getting eliminated. Beating the Americans is crucial to them for so many reasons – and it will be like that when they meet in Qatar as well. Expect the unexpected!WORLD CUP GROUP BMonday, Nov 21st16:00: (1.35) England (4.60) Iran (10.5) B22:00: (2.65) USA (3.00) Wales (2.90) BFriday, Nov 25th13:00: (2.25) Wales (3.05) Iran (3.60) B22:00: (1.65) England (3.70) USA (5.70) BTuesday, Nov 29th22:00: (6.00) Wales (3.80) England (1.60) B22:00: (3.60) Iran (3.35) USA (2.10) B***odds are subject to change***
