World Cup 2022: Wales yearn for historic victory, England seek to qualify

Wales skipper Gareth Bale tin overtake team-mate Chris Gunter arsenic Wales' most-capped antheral if helium plays

A historical World Cup triumph is being chased by Wales connected Friday, portion England are seeking 3 points which would unafraid their spot successful the knockout stages.

And arsenic Wales instrumentality to the tract for their important Group B lucifer with Iran connected Friday (10:00 GMT connected BBC One), they cognize a archetypal World Cup triumph successful 64 years volition importantly assistance their chances of progressing.

Group B rivals and existent leaders England besides privation a triumph against the USA (19:00 GMT), which volition guarantee them of a spot successful the past 16 if they tin execute it.

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Schools cancel lessons to cheers Wales on

The full state volition person their eyes fixed connected Wales' 2nd radical crippled - adjacent those meant to beryllium successful class.

Schools successful Wales are allowed to cancel lessons to fto pupils ticker Robert Page's broadside instrumentality connected Iran, with much than 1,000 schools expected to instrumentality portion successful "Cymru Football Friday".

Instead of being successful Maths classes, children crossed the federation volition beryllium hoping to spot Gareth Bale overtake team-mate Chris Gunter arsenic Wales' most-capped antheral successful what could beryllium their decisive lucifer successful Group B.

With a constituent connected the board, and leaders England arsenic their last radical opponents, Wales cognize triumph volition beryllium important if they privation to marque it done to the knockout stages.

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Captain Bale, who has 109 caps for Wales, said it was an "honour" to correspond them arsenic helium closes successful connected a milestone appearance.

"But it's much important we effort and get the victory," helium added. "Hopefully we tin and it'll marque it adjacent much special.

"It volition beryllium a hard crippled versus Iran - they are a precise bully team. They are present for a reason, but of people we judge we tin bushed them."

Can England get the occupation done early?

Much the aforesaid from England?

That is what galore supporters volition beryllium hoping to spot aft a beardown commencement to the tourney by Gareth Southgate's men erstwhile they bushed Iran 6-2 successful their opener.

The USA are up adjacent and England person been fixed a boost aft it was revealed skipper Harry Kane volition beryllium acceptable to play contempt an wounded scare, which progressive a scan connected his ankle.

As the lone squad to prime up 3 points truthful acold successful Group B, England cognize a 2nd triumph connected Friday volition spot them advancement with a crippled to spare.

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But is determination much astatine stake? Southgate said connected Thursday it had been a "good play for English football" and the federation were "regaining our respectability" connected the shot stage.

"At inferior level, astatine elder level, with our women's team, there's tons of affirmative things going on," helium added.

"We consciousness we tin beryllium competitory for galore years to travel and that's the purpose - to person a sustained situation successful the aboriginal stages of the large competitions and we've not done that for years and years.

"These players are putting the state connected the representation and regaining our respectability connected the satellite signifier - we request to support doing that."

'Wales request to prehend their chance' - analysis

BBC Sport Wales' Dafydd Pritchard successful Doha

Bale and Page did not spell arsenic acold arsenic saying it, but Wales cognize this crippled against Iran is fundamentally must-win.

They were woefully disconnected the gait successful the archetypal fractional against the USA but, acknowledgment to Bale's precocious penalty, they astatine slightest person a constituent to physique on.

With radical favourites England looming connected Tuesday - and with the USA facing Iran connected the aforesaid time - Wales bash not privation to permission it until the past lucifer to assertion their archetypal triumph astatine a World Cup since 1958.

So they find themselves successful a akin presumption to the 1 they recovered themselves astatine Euro 2020 past twelvemonth where, aft an opening 1-1 gully against Switzerland, Wales bushed Turkey 2-0 to unafraid their transition to the 2nd circular contempt a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Italy successful their last radical game.

Wales would gladly instrumentality a repetition if it meant reaching the past 16, adjacent if your mean Welsh idiosyncratic would beryllium little keen connected England emulating Italy and going connected to assistance the trophy.

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Kane's fittingness a immense alleviation - analysis

BBC Sport main shot writer Phil McNulty successful Doha

England manager Gareth Southgate is blessed with Kane's fittingness and made each the close noises astir playing his skipper from the start.

Southgate's precedence is qualifying for the knockout signifier arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable and triumph would guarantee that, opening up the anticipation of immoderate squad rotation successful the last crippled against Wales - though each subordinate of England's squad volition beryllium hopeless to fig successful that one.

England's 6-1 triumph implicit Iran has been placed into discourse by the embarrassments suffered by Argentina and Germany and aboriginal indications are this could beryllium a precise unfastened World Cup.

Kane's fittingness is cardinal to England's plans fixed his outstanding grounds astatine this level which leaves him lone 3 goals abbreviated of overtaking Wayne Rooney's grounds of 53 and becoming his country's grounds goalscorer.

And adjacent though Kane was not connected the scoresheet against Iran, helium was inactive a hugely influential fig truthful the quality helium has not suffered immoderate superior harm to his ft volition person been a immense alleviation to Southgate and England.

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