An authentic football match appeared after the opening’s cold theatre but its most important moment was Iran’s defiant stand against singing the national anthemWell, that was unexpected. After the cold, cold theatre of Qatar 2022’s opening game, elite sport reimagined as a despot’s light-show, something remarkable happened on Monday afternoon in Doha.As night fell over the vast, swooping Khalifa International Stadium (all these World Cup structures are vast and swooping; unless specifically told otherwise, assume vast and swooping) England and Iran produced something that felt jarringly real, oddly warm, suspiciously authentic. Continue reading...
Around 3,500 women will see the World Cup qualifier against Cambodia but a complete end to the ban and other important steps are neededEven the faintest praise for the Iranian Football Association as the clock has ticked towards Thursday’s World Cup qualifier with Cambodia, which will welcome around 3,500 women to Tehran’s Azadi Stadium after their 40-year exile, has been pretty galling.Because, in reality, women are anything but welcome in the somewhat ironically named ‘freedom’ stadium. The decision to creak open the gates is a reluctant one. Related: Iranian women allowed to watch football at stadium for first time in decades Continue reading...
Twenty-three nations have booked their places for the World Cup in Russia, with the holders and Brazil looking in good shape but we rank England in 13th place, below IcelandIf the world champions were frustrated by their failure to win continental honours at Euro 2016 they have certainly taken it out on everyone else since. Germany won 10 qualifying games out of 10 and, even if San Marino’s presence in Group C needs taking into account, a record 43 goals scored suggests things are back in their old working order. So too did their Confederations Cup title in July, achieved with an experimental squad; Joachim Löw can select from an unrivalled depth of talent and, while winning back-to-back World Cups...