World Cup

THE ‘Iranian Messi’, a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the heir to Iran legend Ali Daei – those are just some of the names Sardar Azmoun is known by. But the Bayer Leverkusen star will be looking to create his own legacy at the Qatar World Cup.
Sardar Azmoun scored six goals in qualifying to help Iran reach the World CupCredit: Getty
And he could do so in Iran’s first game against England as Carlos Queiroz’s side aim to cause an early upset.
To do so they will be counting on Azmoun, who scored six goals in ten games to help Iran qualify in style – the Persian Stars lost just once in 14 matches.
The striker, 27, defied the Iranian FA by speaking out in support of the protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody.
Azmoun has several interests outside of football, he owns an Iranian woman’s volleyball team and is a member of the Humanitarian Association of World Turkmens – but his biggest passion is horses.
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Racing life
Azmoun owns Serik Horse Complex which is based in his hometown of Gonbad-e Kavus, Iran.
The stable owns several horses and runs a breeding programme – with Azmoun also developing a stable in Australia.
Earlier this year Azmoun revealed he owns 52 horses in total and in 2020 spent £440,000 on Serlik, who is trained by former Melbourne Cup champion Michelle Payne.
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Payne also looks after Sky Horse, who picked up a first win for Azmoun at Cranbourne in August.
Azmoun also owns a £61,000 thoroughbred named Oubitsa who is the son of the hugely successful mare Palentino, winner of the Australian Guineas in 2016.
Michelle Payne with Azmoun’s first winner Sky HorseCredit: Getty
Hanging up the boots
Azmoun knows all about the pressure of being Iran’s star man, having carried the expectations of 84million people going into the 2018 World Cup.
The forward had scored 23 goals in 33 caps before that tournament but did not deliver in Russia, failing to score as Iran were knocked out in the group stage.
That sparked significant criticism, so much so that Azmoun revealed it was affecting his mother’s health, so he decided to retire from international football.

Azmoun described that decision as “painful” having represented his country since he was 19-years-old.
But his retirement lasted just a few months and he has since highlighted his importance to the side, while his 41 goals make him Iran’s third highest goalscorer.
He will have to cope with big expectations again in Qatar, particularly as the comparisons to Daei, the second highest international goalscorer of all time, have not gone away.
Azmoun quit international football in 2018 as he was concerned criticism was affecting his mother’s healthCredit: Instagram /@sardar_azmoun
The Bayer Leverkusen star has been compared to Iran legend Ali Daei
Iran protests
Azmoun risked being left out of Iran’s World Cup squad by supporting on ongoing protests in the country, which were sparked by the death of Mahsa Animi.
But the former Rubin Kazan star revealed he is happy to do that, and took to Instagram to publicly show his support.
He wrote: “My heart really broke for Mahsa Amini and the likes of Mahsa Amini who are innocent of this.
“They left the world and left a pain in the hearts of people that history will never forget. I will always be your supporter when something bad happens to you.
“I want you to be the first one to feel that I am with you. You are like my sisters. I am proud of you that I am beside you and I hope one day it will be a place.
“At worst I’ll be dismissed from the national team. No problem.
“I’d sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women. This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women.”
The striker has publicly support
Premier League links
As well as impressing for his country, Azmoun caught the eye at Zenit St Petersburg, where he scored 52 goals in 79 league games.
He also struck in the Europa League and Champions League and that helped to capture the attention of Arsenal and Tottenham.
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Azmoun revealed he had received an offer from Spurs but Zenit rejected the bid.
He claims Roma and Lyon also battled to sign him before Bayer Leverkusen matched Zenit’s £3.8million asking price with Azmoun completing a the move in January. More

A FORTUNE teller who makes predictions using asparagus has revealed how far she believes England will get in the 2022 World Cup.Jemima Packington, from Bath, correctly predicted the Queen’s death and Brexit using asparagus spears.
Jemima correctly predicted the Queen’s death, and Brexit using asparagusCredit: Newsteam
She has now turned her talent to sport and has given a prediction that she says “will not make her very popular” among England fans.
Jemima said: “I only see England getting as far as the quarter-finals, I don’t see them progressing any further.
“I have predicted that Croatia will win, and I could also see the letter B, so that suggests that they will be either facing Brazil or Belgium in the final.”
Also known as ‘Mystic Veg’ Jemima makes her predictions by casting a handful of asparagus in the air and interpreting how the spears land.
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She has travelled around the world giving her predictions on everything from politics to Premier League winners.
Jemima claims to be the world’s only “Asparamancer”.
She said: “I see initials, symbols, and numbers, and if it is something to do with royalty I always see a crown.
“If the buds at the end of the spear fall off, that either means it will be something jolly, or deep sadness.”
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Jemima was eight years old when her family started to think she may have this special gift, and she believes that she inherited it from a great-aunt who used to read tea leaves.
She said: “My parents never encouraged or discouraged me, they just let me find my own way with it, and I am so grateful they did that.
“I feel very lucky to have this unique gift, it has led me to meet some wonderful people.”
Jemima has also given a recent prediction regarding controversial jungle campmate Matt Hancock.
The former Health Secretary is a contestant on the reality TV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
She said: “I did predict recently that Matt Hancock would be forced to resign as an MP, and then shortly after he had the whip removed.
“The majority of my predictions do come true, but some can be a wee bit off.
“I was asked who would succeed Liz Truss, and predicted Boris Johnson would return, which he obviously didn’t.
“I was right about him becoming Prime Minister though, I predicted he would be PM four years prior to him getting the job and everyone laughed at the time, but I was right in the end.”
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It comes after a psychic camel called Camilla has predicted England for victory in World Cup match with Iran.
‘Living Nostradamus’ who foresaw Covid and Putin’s invasion gives his predictions for England’s World Cup.
Jemima says she is the world’s only Asparamancer
She makes her predictions by casting a handful of asparagus in the air and interpreting how the spears land
Jemima has previously predicted Brexit and Boris Johnson becoming PMCredit: Rex Features More

SENY DIENG holds up his hand at a slanted angle to portray the lop-sided pitch he once played on in non-league and grins.The affable goalkeeper has come a long way in the last half a decade, from turning out in the Conference South with Whitehawk and Hampton to becoming QPR’s No1.
QPR star Seny Dieng is part of the Senegal team at the World CupCredit: Rex
And now he has something truly special to smile about which completes his journey from football obscurity to its pinnacle – a World Cup with Senegal.
The 27-year-old, who is in the Lions of Teranga’s squad to face the Netherlands in their Group A opener on Monday, tells SunSport: “It’s crazy.
“Thinking about it, it was five years ago I was playing in the Conference South and now I’m going to the World Cup.
“It’s a very, very, very big jump. It’s amazing and very exciting.
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“Even now, I remember playing for Whitehawk and Hampton in the Conference South, it wasn’t very pretty.
“I’m definitely delighted that these times are past me now and I can play at a higher level.
“But at the same time, it’s a good experience to see that kind of stuff.”
Dieng had loan spells at Whitehawk, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Stevenage, Dundee and Doncaster before finally making it in the R’s first team two years ago.
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Raising his hand at a 45-degree angle, he adds: “I remember the pitch that we had at Whitehawk was like this, you know what I mean?
“In one half, you would play up the hill.
“In another game, the pitch was so bad that in front of my area, it was completely mud. 
“Someone would shoot, I would dive, but the ball would just stop in front of me in the mud!”
Edouard Mendy is Senegal’s No1, but Dieng will be ready to step up if neededCredit: AFP
Dieng was born in Switzerland, the country of his mother’s birth, but always wanted to play for Senegal ever since watching the famous class of 2002 reach the quarter-finals.
He earned a call-up in 2014 but only won his first cap last year and now has three to his name, two of which have come while No1 Edouard Mendy has injured.
The Chelsea stopper is back now and so will likely start against the Dutch, but Dieng is ready to step up if needed.
All of Senegal are of course devastated after talisman Sadio Mane was ruled out of the tournament through injury.

Dieng is a huge fan of ex-Liverpool hero both as a player and as a person.
And the way he talks about Mane’s influence, it is obvious what a huge blow not having the Bayern Munich star will be.
The goalie explains: “He’s an amazing player, one of the best in the world. You saw at the Ballon D’Or he came second.
“You see with Liverpool now, I think any team would miss Sadio Mane leaving them. He definitely left a big hole there.
“Off the pitch, he’s very humble. He doesn’t think he stands above anyone else. He’s good to everyone, he’s always ready to help.
“You can also see that he is obsessed with football. He’s always thinking about how we can optimise our performance, be it the right nutrition, an ice bath, the right amount of sleep.”
Senegal also boast the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Ismaila Sarr.
They look a force to be reckoned with who no one should write off – even if that is exactly what happened to Dieng previously in his own career.
The stopper, who idolised Brazilian Dida and Senegal’s 2002 keeper Tony Sylva as a kid, reflects: “I always believed in myself, even if a lot of people didn’t!
“It’s about being given the opportunity to show my ability. It’s hard as a goalkeeper to come through, you have to be very patient, keep going and keep working.
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“We have great individual players at Senegal but we are also a great collective. We are a family out here.
“The whole country stands behind us. I think there is no limit to where we can go.” More

LAST summer, the Lionesses lifted the Women’s European Championship, beating Germany after extra-time to win the nation’s first trophy since 1966. Can Gareth Southgate’s men go one step further and bring home the greatest prize in the sport, matching the feat of Alf Ramsey’s heroes 56 years ago?
Gareth Southgate will be mulling over a tactical plan to be beat IranCredit: Getty
Southgate and England will face a stern test in Carlos Queiroz’s sideCredit: AFP
England take on Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium and many supporters will recognise the face of the man in the opposite dugout as Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant manager Carlos Queiroz.
This will be Queiroz’s fourth consecutive World Cup as a manager, having been in charge of Portugal in South Africa in 2010 and Iran in both 2014 and 2018.
It is the 69-year-old’s second stint with Iran but will be his third time marching his players out onto the grandest stage in football, making him the longest reigning manager in the country’s history.
England are comfortably the favourites to win this Group B opener, but Queiroz’s teams are notably pragmatic, dogged and determined.
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Gareth Southgate has been England manager for six years
Claiming all three points will be massive for the Three Lions to get up and running early on, putting nerves to bed and easing some pressure off of Southgate’s shoulders after some recent torrid displays from a team winless in six competitive matches.
Here are three key areas where this game can be won and lost for England and Iran.

The importance of Bellingham
When England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, bowing out to a hyper-charged Croatia in the end, Jude Bellingham was just 15 years old.
Despite being an unearthed gem rising through Birmingham City’s youth academy, nobody outside of the club had heard of the teenager with talent in abundance.
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Fast forward four years later and Bellingham is already one of the best midfielders in Europe at the ripe age of 19 and is being linked with some of Europe’s elite including Manchester United, Real Madrid and Manchester City for upwards of £100 million.
If England go far in the Qatar World Cup, potentially even winning the prestigious competition, Bellingham will certainly be the key.
Jude Bellingham was everywhere during England’s 3-3 draw with Germany in September
Nonetheless, regarding Monday’s opponents, Bellingham will be vital to helping Southgate’s side break through Iran during attacking transitions.
The teenager is unbelievably quick for a central midfield player which is one of the reasons why Bellingham was shoehorned out to the flanks upon arrival at Borussia Dortmund in 2020.
On top of this, he is explosive on the ball and is able to burst through pressure from onrushing defenders, beating them with his exceptional dribbling.
For the most part, Bellingham’s wonderful dribbling won’t be overly helpful for Southgate’s England in this match due to Iran being likely to sit back and soak up pressure.

However, there will be times when Iran are forced to come out and be a little more expansive with their play.
When these moments occur, Bellingham will be vital for hitting the Middle Easterners on the break.
Being on the backfoot against a counterattack is one area where Iran have really struggled under Queiroz.
The manager is keen for his side to counterpress upon losing possession, bunching together to regain the ball and stopping the opposition’s counter as far up the pitch as possible.
Unfortunately, this has left the side exploitable at times once the initial counterpress is broken.
Iran deploy a tight counterpress when they lose possession but this can by bypassed
Counterpressing is when a team hunts down the ball in packs in a structured manner as soon as possession is turned over to the hands of the opposition.
Plenty of sides in the modern game counterpress. The likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola revolutionised the football over the last decade by integrating fascinating methods of this into their tactics.
The key factor for this to be a success is having energy in the midfield.
But with the average age of Iran’s squad at this World Cup at 28.9, the oldest at the tournament, counterpressing will be more difficult due to Queiroz favouring experience over youth.
This is where Bellingham can tear them to shreds, using his explosive speed and dribbling to bypass midfield pressure and beating the counterpress to leave the defensive line vulnerable.
Here Bellingham’s ability allowed England to bypass the opposition press
England’s backline
A lot has been said about the defenders Southgate chose to give a seat to on the plane to Qatar.
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Tottenham’s Eric Dier were picked by the manager who opted to leave Fikayo Tomori at home in Milan, dealing a massive blow to the confidence of the AC Milan star.
Even though England’s results have been below par recently, with notably poor displays from Maguire and Dier, it is likely the duo will be involved as two-thirds of Southgate’s back three.
The former Middlesbrough manager’s favoured central defensive trio has been Maguire on the left, Dier in the middle with Kyle Walker as the right centre-back.
Out of possession, Southgate needs his centre-backs to be aggressive.
When the ball is moved between the lines and the midfielders are already occupied, the defenders must step out and close the opposition player down to try and snuff out the danger.

Kyle Walker plays aggressive to ensure the opposition possession is not uncontested
Playing with a back three makes it easier for central defenders to be aggressive than in a two-man partnership.
This is because when one steps up to close down an opponent there are still two covering behind that can plug the vacant space.
However, if this space isn’t closed by the remaining centre-backs, it can leave a lot of room for opposition forwards to run into which can be dangerous given the lack of speed from Maguire and Dier.
Iran will look to exploit this throughout the match and it will likely give Team Melli the greatest opportunity to score.
By nature, Queiroz’s side are extremely direct, always looking to play longer passes into the channels to runners in behind.
Iran tend to play long balls into the channels behind the defence
If Iran can drag Walker deeper and get in behind Maguire and Dier with players such as FC Porto’s prolific star Mehdi Taremi or Omonia Nicosia’s Karim Ansarifard they will cause damage to England.
Play between the lines
Iran are really well-drilled under Queiroz which is a testimony to the manager as well as his predecessor Dragan Skočić with whom the national team qualified for the World Cup.
Defensively, Iran press high up the pitch, especially against opponents of a similar or lesser quality. But in games versus better opponents, Iran usually drop into a low block.
This is to ensure the distance between the backline and the goalkeeper is minimal to prevent the attacking side from playing to runners in behind the defence.
Uruguay suffered from this rigid gameplan back in September in a 1-0 defeat to Iran.
The potent Uruguayan frontline, including Liverpool’s £85 million man Darwin Nunez, posed little to no threat thanks to the excellent structure of Team Melli.
Queiroz has set his players up in a 4-3-3 so far during his brief second stint. When Iran defend this drops into a 4-1-4-1 as the wingers fall back to the midfield line.

Iran play a deep line with two banks of four and an extra defender between the lines
That’s not to say Iran are impossible to break down, far from it. The team still have flaws during games that can be exploited.
One of the keys to breaking down a low block is to get the ball into space between the lines as teams can create better chances centrally than out wide.
Playing through a block like this requires a high level of technical competency, something England have in abundance with players such as Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and James Maddison.
Iran struggle when the attacking side quickly plays the ball between the lines and the lack of energy in the team rears its ugly head as the players are unable to get to the ball fast enough to intercept passes.
Iran’s lack of energy can lead to spaces being exploited when the ball is played quickly
Southgate normally deploys two ‘10’s in the England team, with two inside wingers acting as playmakers in a 3-4-2-1 in a similar vein to how Chelsea won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel.
It’s unclear which combination of players Southgate will use but it’s relatively certain that Mount will be involved in the starting lineup due to his ability to break open low blocks.
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What does this all mean?
England are clear favourites to beat Iran.
Queiroz’s side could end up being the whipping boys of a tough group if Southgate’s men win in emphatic fashion in the group opener.
But failure to pick up an early three points would lead to intense pressure re-emerging on the shoulders of the England coach and would feel highly reminiscent of the national side’s World Cup struggles in 2010 and 2014. More

THE REFEREE for England’s World Cup opener sent off FIVE players in one game earlier this season.Raphael Claus was in charge of September’s clash between fierce Rio rivals Flamengo and Fluminense in Brazil’s top flight and the match lived up to its billing.
Raphael Claus is set to take charge of England vs IranCredit: Getty
The Brazilian sent off five players during Flamengo vs Fluminense in SeptemberCredit: Alamy
Claus is one of the Brazilian’s refs at the World CupCredit: Getty
Claus showed a yellow card to Fluminense’s David Braz after four minutes – and a second one immediately when Braz continued protesting.
Fluminense took the lead just before half-time through a controversial penalty.
But the game really caught fire in the last 15 minutes as Fluminense went two goals up only for the home side to pull one back.
In the 86th minute, Claus showed Flamengo’s Marinho a straight red for a foul and another to Fluminense’s Manoel for retaliation – even though it looked as though badboy Felipe Melo had pushed Marinho to the ground.
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Former Chelsea and Arsenal star David Luiz, now at Flamengo, squared off with Melo in the scuffles that followed.
Then in stoppage time, another brawl broke out and Claus was advised by the VAR to check out the footage.

As a result, he sent off Fluminense’s Caio Paulista for headbutting Everton Ribeiro – who also saw read for grabbing Paulista by the neck in response.
It was by far the most eventful of Claus’ 24 domestic games this season. He showed five red cards across the other 23 matches and will be hoping for a more straightforward afternoon on Monday.
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England take on Iran in their World Cup opener tomorrow before taking on USA and Wales.
The game kicks off at 1pm and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. More

QATAR has spent at least £185BILLION preparing the country to host the World Cup – and much of that has been spent on the city of Lusail. Being the second largest city in the Gulf State with a population of around 200,000 people, Lusail has seen billions of pounds ploughed into it – turning it into a the “city of the future”.
People walk near the Katara Towers in the coastal city of LusailCredit: AFP
Concept art for Lusail – Qatar’s city of the future
Lusail Iconic Stadium will host the final game of the World Cup
Lusail however is feared to be one of many infrastructure projects with a darkside
With an crescent moon skyscraper hotel, huge man-made islands, whole districts wired for climate control, and a brand new stadium – the city is a key part of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The £40billion project has seen the 14-square mile patch of land converted into what the Qataris hope will be a paradise on the Gulf.
And the city will host its first World Cup game on Tuesday with a clash between Argentina and Saudi Arabia.
Behind all the glitzy buildings and high-tech systems however there are fears the city – like many infrastructure projects in Qatar – harbours a dark secret.
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It is feared such rapid developments have been built on the suffering of thousands of migrant workers – something Qatar denies.
Human rights groups estimate more than 6,500 workers have died in Qatar since they won the right to stage the World Cup.
Qatar has a two million strong migrant workforce – with many of them said to work for low pay in sweltering conditions.
And these workers may have been responsible for creating the metropolis which will host ten games during the World Cup – including the final on December 18.
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Qatar denies mistreatment of migrant workers and says it is proactively working to improve standards.
Once completed, it is hoped Lusail will have a theme park, a lagoon, two marinas, two golf courses, 22 hotels along with luxury shopping and commercial districts.
Sprawling around the the West Bay Lagoon, the city is 14 miles north of Doha and is hoped to one day have infrastructure to support 450,000 people.
Incredible earthworks have seen four man made islands spring up the city which was essentially built from scratch.
The Lusail Iconic Stadium has capacity for 80,000 people.
And the city hosted Qatar’s first Formula 1 race last year when Lewis Hamilton won the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix.
But one of the most recognisable parts of the city is the crescent moon hotel complex, the Katara Towers.
It is 692 ft tall with 40 floors – housing two luxury hotels along with apartments, offices and shops.
And while the city is an incredible complex, it is feared to be built of the backs of poorly paid migrant workers.
Construction workers helping to build stadiums are reported to have been paid less than £1 an hour.
As FIFA prepares to rake in billions in revenue from sponsors and broadcasters, many migrant worker families still mourn the death of their loved onesHuman Rights Watch
And some are said to have died as they worked in the blazing heat of Qatar.
Human Rights Watch compiled a report which details how migrant workers are allegedly exploited using the “kafala system”.
Workers mostly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Philippines find themselves in a form of “forced labour”.
The kafala system ties workers visas to a sponsorship by their employer – who is responsible for their legal status.
Migrants can end have to pay up to £2,200 just to secure a job.
And this is something that can lead to them emptying their savings or selling what little assets they have, only to them find themselves trapped in low paying jobs.
Kafala rules then mean the workers can’t even leave – with many being reported to have “absconded” by their employers, which is a criminal offense in Qatar.
Human Rights Watch have said the kafala system as “at the heart” of all abuses of migrant workers working ahead of the World Cup.
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“[Our] research has shown that abusive legislation and policies, the time pressure, and attempts to contain the exorbitant costs, have resulted in abuses against migrant workers, including work in life-threatening conditions, low wages or illegal recruitment fees,” the group said in a submission this week to the European Parliament.
“As FIFA prepares to rake in billions in revenue from sponsors and broadcasters, many migrant worker families still mourn the death of their loved ones and struggle to feed their children or pay off loans their loved ones took out to pay illegal World Cup recruitment fees.”
People pose for a picture with a sign near the Katara TowersCredit: AFP
Master plan scale model birds-eye aerial overview of LusailCredit: Alamy
Lusail Stadium with the Katara Towers in the backgroundCredit: Rex
Lusail coastline at sunset ahead of the World CupCredit: Alamy More