With geopolitical tensions simmering in the buildup to this summer’s World Cup, many countries will be thinking about how they might end up facing Iran, who are currently embroiled in a war with the US-Israel alliance.
It is highly unlikely, but not impossible that England could meet Iran in the latter stages of the tournament, once the knockout phase has begun.
Iran are in group G and England are in group L, and there are no round of 32 ties which pit teams from those two groups against one another.
The earliest that they could meet is in the round of 16 – which would be a remarkable feat for an Iranian team that has never progressed beyond the group stage in any of their six prior appearances at the World Cup.
For that to happen, a very specific scenario would need to unfold, beginning with both teams finishing third in their group.
That in itself is improbable. According to the Fifa world rankings on the day the tournament starts, England (4th in the world) are the top-ranked team in Group L, ahead of Croatia (11th), Panama (34th), and Ghana (73rd).
Iran are the second-ranked team in their group (20th), trailing Belgium (9th) and outranking Egypt (29th) and New Zealand (85th).
Even if they both finish third, they would each still have to accumulate enough points – and likely a strong enough goal difference – to qualify for the round of 32, which is the case for eight of the 12 best third-placed teams.
Then, Iran would have to be placed into match 85 of the tournament rather than match 77, as there are two possible routes for the third-placed team in Group G (should the third-placed team in that group indeed qualify).
Whether that happens or not will depend on the other groups from which the third-placed teams qualify for the knockout stages.
If that all transpires – which is a mighty if – both teams would need to win their knockout ties in the round of 32 to set up what would be only the second meeting in history between the two.
The first was in the previous World Cup, in Qatar in 2022, as England were in the same group Iran. They won 6-2, thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka (twice), Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish.
However, it is actually quite feasible that the US and Iran could meet at the tournament.
Should each of the teams finish second in their respective groups – a much simpler permutation – they will face each other in Dallas in the round of 32.
As above, Iran are the ranked second in their group. And while the US (17th) are the top-ranked team in Group D, they are only marginally ahead of Turkey (22nd). Australia (27th) and Paraguay (41st) complete the group.
Again, it would not be the first time the sides have met at the World Cup. The US team was also in the group with England and Iran in 2022, and they ran out 1-0 victors with a first-half goal from Christian Pulisic being enough to separate the sides.
They also met in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup in France, with a 2-1 win for Iran knocking the US out of the tournament.
That was also a tense game at the time, it being the first ever meeting of the two countries, whose relationship had been all but severed by the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 and the US Embassy hostage crisis between 1979 and 1981.
Players appeared to recognise the gravity of the now-historic moment they took part in. The Iranian players brought white roses – a symbol of peace – onto the pitch before the game, and the teams shared a squad photo.
US defender Jeff Agoos – who is Jewish and represented his nation at the 1985 Maccabiah Games – reportedly said at the time that “we did more in 90 minutes than the politicians did in 20 years”.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.