England take the early lead in Group B by putting three points on the board, and they face USA in their next game on Friday. Iran drop to the bottom of the table, with Wales next up for them.
England open their World Cup campaign with a 6-2 win over Iran. The Three Lions were out of sight at half-time, taking a 3-0 lead into the break; Bellingham glanced in his first England goal before Saka and Sterling added to the tally. Saka got his second just after the hour mark before Taremi pulled one back when he fired one in off the underside of the bar. Rashford and Grealish both came off the bench to wrap it up, with the former scoring just 49 seconds after his introduction. A late penalty from Taremi after a foul by Stones finished off the game.
90' + 14' FULL-TIME: ENGLAND 6-2 IRAN.
M. Taremi
Penalty Goal
90' + 13' TAREMI SCORES! The referee's whistle went, but Taremi was in no hurry to take the penalty as he stared Pickford down. He takes a couple of stuttering steps before striding to the ball and coolly slotting it into the bottom-right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. 6-2!
90' + 12' PENALTY TO IRAN! The referee has been asked to go over to the monitor and have a look at a possible foul on Taremi. Stones has hold of his shirt, with the forward tumbling over, and after looking at the replays, the referee points to the spot!
90' + 10' Iran win a free-kick on the right and Hajisafi steps up to whip it into the box. He's looking for Pouraliganji at the far post, but Pickford rushes off his line to punch it away just ahead of him.
90' + 8' WHAT A SAVE! It's a lovely throughball from Kanani and Rice stretches but can't stop it from reaching Azmoun. He's one-on-one with Pickford, and the keeper gets a finger to the ball to help the powerful strike onto the bar.
90' + 7' Iran are pushing forward to try and add a late consolation here. Taremi knocks it out to Moharrami, who clips it into the middle for the forward, but it's just too high for him.
90' + 5' Rashford scored just 49 seconds after coming on for England, the third-quickest goal by a substitute in World Cup history.
90' + 3' Bellingham peels out to the left this time and links up well with Grealish before curling it into the middle. He's looking for Wilson, but it's slightly too high for him and Hossein Hosseini collects it.
90' + 1' Into the first of 10 added minutes here, and England are still in possession. Bellingham tries to push his way through the middle again, but he can't pick out one of the forwards this time.
C. Wilson
Assist
90' It's a great run from Wilson and he puts it on a plate for Grealish despite having the opportunity to have a shot himself.
J. Grealish
Goal
90' GREALISH SCORES! Bellingham slides a lovely throughball down the right and Wilson has space to run into. He cuts inside and it looks like he's setting up for a shot at the near post, but he unselfishly chooses to square it to Grealish instead, and he's left with a simple tap-in. 6-1 England!
87' Foden deftly flicks it on for Rashford on the edge of the box, but it's just behind him. Shaw tries to fizz it in, but Majid Hosseini's block ends up setting Taremi on the counter. He spreads it out to Hajisafi on the left, but Trippier cuts it out.
85' England break quickly again, this time with Foden spreading it out to Rashford on the right. The space opens up for him as he cuts inside, so he decides to curl another shot on goal, but Pouraliganji slides in to block it.
83' England have scored 5+ goals in a major tournament match (World Cup/Euros) for only the second time in their history, also doing so against Panama at the World Cup in 2018 (6-1).
81' Hajisafi is down for Iran here, and it looks like he's picked up a muscle injury. The medical team are on to see him, and luckily he's okay to carry on as Iran have run out of substitutions.
79' England are happy to just slow the pace of the game down here as they try to draw Iran out of their compact shape. It's switched out to Trippier on the right again, but he can't pick out a cross this time.
S. Azmoun
A. Noorollahi
77' Final change for Iran now as Azmoun makes his return from injury in place of Noorollahi.
77' CHANCE! Noorollahi has a lot of space in midfield and he turns before sliding it through to Taremi. He's through on goal again, but Dier's presence forces him to rush it and he blazes it high over the bar.
C. Wilson
H. Kane
75' Wilson was ready to come on earlier but had to wait a bit longer due to Maguire's injury. He is on now though as he replaces Kane.
73' England are on the hunt for more goals here as Kane carries it forward once again. Iran are dropping deep into their shape again though, and he can't find a way through.
H. Kane
Assist
71' Kane gets his second assist of the game after getting his head up to pick out Rashford's run down the right.
M. Rashford
Goal
71' RASHFORD SCORES! He's only been on the pitch a matter of seconds! Kane slides it out to him on the right, and he takes it around Moharrami with his first touch since coming on to get into the box before sliding it past Hossein Hosseini and into the far bottom corner of the net. 5-1 England!
P. Foden
M. Mount
71' And Foden comes on in place of Mount.
J. Grealish
R. Sterling
71' Sterling is also making way, with Grealish coming on for him.
M. Rashford
B. Saka
71' Saka won't have a chance to go for a hat-trick as he's replaced by Rashford.
E. Dier
H. Maguire
70' England are finally able to make their changes. Dier comes on to take Maguire's place.
69' The game is back underway without England having a chance to make those substitutions. They are currently down to 10 men though as Maguire was taken straight down the tunnel by the medical team.
67' There's a problem for England here as Maguire is down and going through the concussion checks. England were ready to make substitutions, but one of those will be changed now as they aren't taking any chances with the defender.
A. Gholizadeh
Assist
65' It's a great throughball from Gholizadeh to put it on a plate for Taremi.
M. Taremi
Goal
65' TAREMI SCORES! Iran have pulled one back! Moharrami sees his cross blocked, but he keeps hold of it to play it into Gholizadeh. He spots Taremi's run off the back of Maguire and threads it through for him. He lets it run across him before firing his shot over Pickford and in off the bottom of the bar. 4-1!
M. Torabi
M. Mohammadi
63' Iran are making another change in reply to the latest England goal. Mohammadi is making way for Torabi.
R. Sterling
Assist
62' Sterling did well to get away from the first challenge and play the pass out to Saka before he was clattered into by Pouraliganji.
B. Saka
Goal
62' SAKA SCORES AGAIN! It starts with a poor clearance from Hossein Hosseini, and England punish him for it. Sterling rides the challenge from Kanani to knock it out to Saka on the right, and he cuts inside. He drags it past Majid Hosseini before curling it towards goal, and a deflection helps it past the keeper. 4-0 England!
60' Taremi is starting to drop a little deeper to get on the ball, and he holds off Stones long enough to chest it down for Ezatolahi. He decides to have an ambitious chance from range, and it bounces wide of the near post.
58' It's another good move by England down their right side, with Saka trying to slide it through the middle for Mount this time. Iran have crowded players back into the box though, and they comfortably clear their lines.
56' Maguire steps in to win it off Taremi before he sets Sterling on the break through the middle. He plays a clever one-two with Kane to get to the edge of the box, but Majid Hosseini slides in with a vital tackle to stop him from having a shot.
54' It's another good delivery from Trippier on the corner, but Hossein Hosseini comes off his line to punch this one away. Rice latches onto the loose ball to win another corner, but it comes to nothing.
52' Saka tries to intercept a loose pass from Gholizadeh, but he ends up helping it onto Hajisafi. He breaks forward for Iran, but Rice steps in with a vital interception on the edge of the box.
50' Kane stayed down holding his ankle after that challenge from Pouraliganji and he has to receive treatment. He's quickly back to his feet though, and he'll be able to carry on.
M. Pouraliganji
Yellow Card
48' Kane just gets in front of Pouraliganji, and the defender slides in on him from behind, catching him on the ankle. He's booked for the challenge.
46' England get us back underway for the second half!
H. Kanani
R. Cheshmi
46' And Cheshmi is the other player going off, with Kanani replacing him.
A. Gholizadeh
A. Jahanbakhsh
46' Jahanbakhsh is on a yellow card, and he's also taken off for Gholizadeh.
S. Ezatolahi
A. Karimi
46' There's a triple change for Iran at the break as they look to try and get back into this game. Karimi is the first to make way, wth Ezatolahi on for him.
Southgate will be pleased with his side's first-half performance; they looked confident on the ball and were clinical with their finishing. He'll be hoping they keep up the high level to add to their tally. Iran struggled to get into the game and weren't helped by losing their keeper so early on. Quieroz will be urging them for more after the break.
England are cruising at the break, as they lead Iran 3-0. It took a while for the game to get going, especially after a long injury for Beiranvand which forced the keeper off. England found their rhythm though, and Maguire thumped the crossbar with a header before Bellingham glanced them ahead with a lovely finish. Saka then volleyed a second into the top corner, and Sterling added a third minutes later after a quick England break.
45' + 15' HALF-TIME: ENGLAND 3-0 IRAN.
45' + 13' It's a clumsy challenge from Pouraliganji and England have a free-kick down the left. Shaw swings it in and Maguire wasn't expecting it to reach him at the far post, so it bounces off him and out.
45' + 11' CHANCE! It's a poor backpass from Shaw and it's too high for Rice, which allows Noorollahi to break forward on the counter. He switches it out to Mohammadi on the left who swings in a good cross to the far post, but Jahanbakhsh fires it high over the bar.
45' + 9' Sterling has scored his first-ever World Cup goal, having failed to find the back of the net in any of his first nine appearances in the competition (14 attempts on goal in those games).
45' + 7' Saka is causing all sorts of problems down the right for Iran and he drags himself away from Mohammadi as he cuts inside again. He's trying to find space to pick out Kane, but he's bundled off it by Majid Hosseini.
45' + 5' Trippier's initial corner is cleared, but Rice manages to keep it alive by sliding it back into the box for Saka. He spins away from Cheshmi before trying to tee up Stones, but he's crowded off the ball.
45' + 3' We're into the third of 14 minutes of added time at the end of the first half due to that early injury to Beiranvand. England are starting to find more space now though, and Trippier wins another corner.
H. Kane
Assist
45' + 1' Kane didn't even need to lift his head before he played the cross into the middle, knowing Sterling was making the run alongside him.
R. Sterling
Goal
45' + 1' STERLING SCORES! Pickford goes long and Kane nods it down before Bellingham surges upfield before returning it to the forward. He squares a dangerous low cross into the near post and puts it on a plate for Sterling, who fires it past Hossein Hosseini. 3-0 England!
45' Iran are still complaining to the referee that they think there was a foul by Maguire in the build-up to the goal, but the referee is having none of it as he tells them to restart the game.
H. Maguire
Assist
43' Maguire had two defenders on him this time, but he got away from both of them to get his head on it and cushion it into Saka's path.
B. Saka
Goal
43' SAKA SCORES! Yet again, England look for Maguire from a corner, and Trippier picks him out again. He peels to the back of the back and nods it down for Saka. He lets it bounce in front of him before putting his laces through it first-time on the volley. It flies through the crowd and into the top corner. 2-0 England!
41' Bellingham has become England's second-youngest scorer at the World Cup (19 years, 145 days) behind only Michael Owen in 1998 (18y 190d).
39' Iran are trying to break quickly when they win the ball back, but this time, Maguire's interception cuts them out. Pickford goes long over the top for Kane, but there's too much on it for the forward.
37' There's a nervy moment for Hossein Hosseini at the back when Moharrami knocks it back to him. Kane is closing the keeper down, and he just manages to clear his lines in time.
L. Shaw
Assist
35' Shaw just lets the ball roll across him when it's played forward and he lifts it into the box first time to pick out Bellingham.
J. Bellingham
Goal
35' BELLINGHAM SCORES! England do manage to work some space down the left and Shaw loops a cross into the box. Bellingham is unmarked on the penalty spot and he helps it on, leaving Hossein Hosseini stranded as it nestles into the back of the net for his first England goal. 1-0 England!
34' Iran are dropping deep in their own half as England continue to patiently work it upfield. They're trying to draw Iran out of their shape to find space down the wings.
32' OFF THE BAR! Another corner for England is swung in by Trippier and it's too high for Stones, but Maguire loses his defender behind him. He thumps a header towards the far top corner, but it smacks the crossbar.
31' England break quickly on the counter, with Mount carrying it from deep in his own half before he clips it out to Trippier on the right. His first-time cross bounces up for Kane, and he flicks it on, but it's too high for Saka.
29' CHANCE! England work it well down their right again, with Trippier linking up well with Saka. He scuffs a cross towards the near post where Mount has made a late running, but he turns it into the side netting first time.
27' Mount squeezes it through to Saka on the edge of the box, and he takes it around Majid Hosseini before deciding to go for goal. He curls it towards the far post, but it's comfortably held by Hossein Hosseini.
A. Jahanbakhsh
Yellow Card
25' Jahanbakhsh is late on Shaw as he stands on the left-back's foot, and he's shown the first yellow card of the game.
23' Jahanbakhsh's free-kick is cleared by Rice as the first man, but Iran recycle it by switching it out to the right. Moharrami curls a dangerous cross into the far post for Taremi, but it's just out of his reach.
21' Iran are starting to put some pressure on England here now as they quickly work it down the left with Mohammadi. Bellingham crashes into Hajisafi when it's knocked onto him, and they have a free-kick.
H. Hosseini
A. Beiranvand
20' Beiranvand is carried off the field on a stretcher, and Iran are using a concussion sub as they bring on Hossein Hosseini.
16' Beiranvand gets an ovation from the crowd as he takes his goal-kick, but he gifts it straight back to England. Not long after, he gestures to the bench, and this time, he will be going off.
14' Beiranvand has finished being patched up, and they're now changing his shirt so he can carry on playing. He looked a bit shaky when he got back to his feet, but at least for now, the first-choice keeper is staying on.
12' Beiranvand is still down receiving treatment, and Hossein Hosseini is now warming up on the sidelines. It's not looking good for the keeper though, and it seems like that change will have to be made.
10' It was a clash of heads between Beiranvand and Hosseini, and the defender is quickly back to his feet after treatment. The keeper is bleeding so he's still down, and it doesn't look too good for him.
8' CHANCE! Trippier takes a quick free-kick, sliding it down the right for Kane and he clips a good cross into the six-yard box. Beiranvard gets fingertips to it before crashing into Hosseini, and Maguire fires it into the side netting.
6' England are on the attack again here as Shaw is picked out down the left, and his cross is cleared by Hosseini just in front of Saka. Rice tries to keep it alive, but Karimi gets it away.
4' Both Maguire and Stones take a tumble in the box as Trippier swings a corner in. Cheshmi had Maguire around the middle as they went down, but the referee says no penalty, as does VAR.
2' It's England that are enjoying the early possession here with Bellingham switching it out to Trippier on the right. He lifts a lovely cross onto the penalty spot for Sterling, but it's just over his head.
1' Taremi gets the game underway for Iran!
The teams are out on the pitch, the national anthems have been sung, and kick-off is just moments away!
Iran have never progressed past the first round of the World Cup, winning just two of their 15 matches (v USA in 1998 and Morocco in 2018). This is their sixth participation in the tournament.
Carlos Quieroz makes eight changes from Iran's last friendly against Nicaragua, with only Beiranvand, Pouraliganji and Cheshmi retaining their places. Taremi, who was involved in six goals during qualifying, leads the line. Azmoun is fit enough for the bench after a calf tear.
Southgate makes four changes to the side that started England's last game against Germany. Pickford starts in goal, with Trippier, Saka and Mount also coming into the team. Foden, Pope and Dier start on the bench, as does Walker, though it may be too soon for him as he continues to recover from a groin injury.
IRAN SUBS: Amir Abedzadeh, Vahid Amiri, Karim Ansarifard, Sardar Azmoun, Saeid Ezatolahi, Saman Ghoddos, Ali Gholizadeh, Hossein Hosseini, Abolfazl Jalali, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Payam Niazmand, Ramin Rezaeian, Mehdi Torabi.
IRAN STARTING XI (5-4-1): Alireza Beiranvand; Sadegh Moharrami, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Majid Hosseini, Morteza Pouraliganji, Milad Mohammadi; Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Ehsan Hajisafi, Ali Karimi, Ahmad Noorollahi; Mehdi Taremi.
ENGLAND SUBS: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Eric Dier, Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher, Jack Grealish, Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Marcus Rashford, Kyle Walker, Ben White, Callum Wilson.
ENGLAND STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling; Harry Kane.
England come into the World Cup looking to continue their great form in major tournaments under Gareth Southgate, having reached the semi-finals in 2018 before finishing as runners-up at Euro 2020. They come into this game on a six-game winless run though (D3 L3), after enjoying an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign before that (W8 D2). Iran are playing in the competition for the third consecutive time. They've never made it out of the group stages, but they come into today unbeaten in their last three outings in all competitions (W2 D1).
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup Group B meeting between England and Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium!
Commentary