England make big statement as Jude Bellingham shines in 6-goal win vs. Iran

DOHA, Qatar -- England kicked disconnected their 2022 World Cup run successful benignant arsenic they bushed Iran successful a 6-2 thrashing acknowledgment to a brace from Bukayo Saka and efforts from Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish.

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Bellingham opened the scoring with his archetypal England extremity successful the 35th infinitesimal portion Sterling and Saka helped Gareth Southgate's broadside found a comfy 3-0 pb earlier half-time.

Saka produced a superb idiosyncratic effort to instrumentality England further retired of show conscionable past the hr people earlier Mehdi Taremi netted a consolation for Iran, but substitutes Rashford and Grealish enactment the gloss connected the Three Lions' Group B opener contempt a stoppage-time punishment from Taremi.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid Reaction

1. England marque a shot statement, Iran marque a governmental one

A time which began with a enactment astir anti-discrimination "One Love" armbands arsenic England sought to marque a governmental connection ended with Gareth Southgate's broadside making a footballing 1 arsenic they swept to a superb victory. Amid the menace of a yellowish paper for skipper Harry Kane owed to FIFA refusing to assistance peculiar dispensation to the 7 nations readying to deterioration the armband, England dropped the motion conscionable 3 hours earlier footwear off.

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The enactment did small to impact England's performance, however, nor did a 10-minute hold arsenic Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand suffered concussion lone to effort to transportation connected earlier initiating his ain substitution successful a bizarre and confused objection of the expected protocols. Three goals successful an 11-minute blitz made what looked an awkward-looking fixture connected insubstantial a comparative stroll present astatine the Khalifa International Stadium.

Although England took a genu earlier kick-off successful a continuation of the anti-racism connection they sent astatine past summer's delayed European Championship, possibly the biggest amusement of defiance came from the Iran players, who refused to sing the nationalist anthem earlier kick-off successful what appeared a amusement of solidarity for protesters successful their location country.

2. Bellingham justifies the hype to springiness England hope

The biggest improvement successful his England squad since past year's tally to the Euro 2020 last is the emergence of Jude Bellingham, a cardinal midfielder capable to adhd dynamism and ingenuity successful an country of the transportation England person lacked for years. There was, consequently, a batch of anticipation connected the 19-year-old, making lone his ninth planetary commencement and connected Monday becoming the third-youngest antheral to commencement a World Cup lucifer for England.

It could hardly person gone better. Bellingham roseate expertly to steer a superb header past Luke Shaw for the opening extremity aft 35 minutes, the apotheosis of a archetypal fractional successful which helium completed each 40 of his attempted passes, 10 of which came successful the last third. That extremity meant helium became the archetypal subordinate calved successful this period to people astatine World Cup. Bellingham was astatine the bosom of England's 3rd goal, driving guardant and uncovering Kane, who successful crook acceptable up Raheem Sterling to decorativeness first-time astatine the adjacent post.

Bellingham's intelligent usage of the shot already looks integral to giving England's attacking players the benignant of work they tin thrive from. There is simply a agelong mode to spell but this was a hugely promising commencement -- and nary uncertainty caught the oculus of the apical clubs eyeing up a determination for the Borussia Dortmund star, including Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

3. Change of strategy sees England enactment champion ft forward

The statement implicit England manager Gareth Southgate is this: erstwhile helium plays a backmost three, England are excessively cautious, but erstwhile they play with a backmost 4 England are mostly much attacking. Southgate's presumption is informed by England's habitual tourney failures anterior to his assignment successful 2016 -- losing the shot successful midfield, being excessively predictable successful unfastened play to sanction but 2 -- and helium often prefers the information of an other cardinal defender to assistance offset these limitations.

But the increasing statement is that this radical of players is talented capable to beryllium trusted to play a much expansive benignant without the inherent caution, and the deployment of England successful a 4-3-3 oregon 4-2-3-1 signifier present alternatively than the 3-4-3 utilized successful erstwhile games was the close telephone arsenic Southgate's broadside brimmed with flair and invention. A compact and well-drilled Iranian side, albeit 1 overtly focused connected defending until the crippled was lost, simply could not header and the extent of attacking endowment Southgate has astatine his disposal was exemplified by substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish some uncovering the net.

There were inactive a fewer antiaircraft issues -- Mehdi Taremi scored a good consolation extremity connected 65 minutes earlier adding a 2nd heavy successful stoppage clip for a punishment awarded connected VAR reappraisal -- but the clamour for Southgate to instrumentality the handbrake disconnected volition lone turn aft this.

Player ratings

England: Pickford 7, Trippier 7, Stones 7, Maguire 7, Shaw 7, Bellingham 9, Rice 7, Mount 8, Saka 9, Kane 8, Sterling 8.

Subs: Dier 7, Rashford 7, Grealish 7, Foden 7, Wilson 7.

Iran: Beiranvand 5, Moharrami 4, Pouraliganji 4, Cheshmi 4, Hosseini 4, Mohammadi 4, Jahanbakhsh 5, Nourollahi 5, Karimi 5, Hajsafi 5, Taremi 6.

Subs: Hosseini 4, Ezatolahi 5, Gholizadeh 5, Toradi 5, Azmoun 5.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Jude Bellingham

Set the code for a commanding show with the opening extremity and was astatine the bosom of overmuch of England's champion play.

WORST: Hossein Hosseini

Difficult to travel successful aft Beiranvand suffered concussion but helium was beaten acold excessively easy connected much than 1 occasion.

Highlights and notable moments

When England people goals astatine a World Cup, determination is lone 1 spot to spell to for the wildest instrumentality reaction: BOXPARK Croydon. This is however the supporters determination celebrated Jude Belligham's 35th-minute opener.

GOOOAL! 🙌 @England #WorldCup ⚽️ #WC2022 pic.twitter.com/p1BEEwqrZ4

And the revellers hardly had clip to get caller pints poured earlier England scored 2 much goals to spell successful 3-0 astatine half-time.

3-0 🙌 2 successful speedy succession! C'MON ENGLAND!!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #WorldCup #WC2022 pic.twitter.com/GrEuCTUuSS

After the match: What the players and managers said

Postmatch quotes volition look here...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

Jude Bellingham became the archetypal subordinate calved successful this period to people astatine a World Cup.

At 19 years and 145 days of age, Bellingham is the third-youngest scorer for England astatine a World Cup. Michael Owen scored 2 goals astatine the 1998 World Cup aged 18y 191d and 18y 198d.

At 21 years and 77 days old, Bukayo Saka became the youngest England subordinate with a multi-goal crippled astatine a World Cup.

This was the archetypal clip that England had scored 3 goals successful a FIFA World Cup opener since 1982, and the archetypal clip they scored 3 goals successful the archetypal fractional of an opener.

Marcus Rashford became lone the 4th substitute to people for England astatine a World Cup and the archetypal since Steven Gerrard vs. Sweden successful 2006.

Harry Kane became the archetypal English subordinate to grounds 2 assists successful a World Cup lucifer since David Beckham vs. Trinidad & Tobago successful 2006.

England's six goals scored vs. Iran were the joint-most they person ever scored successful a FIFA World Cup match, on with the six they netted successful the 6-1 triumph implicit Panama successful 2018.

England articulation Germany arsenic the lone teams successful the past 30 years of the World Cup to people six oregon much goals successful their opening match. Germany successful 2002 defeated Saudi Arabia 8-0 successful lucifer No. 1 en way to finishing arsenic losing finalists.

Up next

England: After their stunning show against Iran, England whitethorn consciousness arsenic though Friday's Group B clash against the United States (kick-off astatine 2 p.m. ET) can't travel soon enough. The Americans, however, person a superior grounds implicit the Three Lions, having shocked them with a 1-0 triumph astatine the 1950 World Cup and past drawn 1-1 astatine the 2010 tournament. They past circular disconnected the radical signifier against neighbours Wales, who they bushed 2-1 the past clip they met astatine a tourney astatine Euro 2016, connected Nov. 29 astatine 2 p.m. ET.

Iran: Fresh disconnected the backmost of this humbling, Iran volition look Gareth Bale & Co. connected Friday astatine 5 a.m. ET, earlier the taking connected the U.S. successful a rematch of their memorable 1998 World Cup gathering astatine 2 p.m. ET connected Nov. 29.