England's opening game at World Cup 2022 is against Iran in Group B on November 21st at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.
The Three Lions have never faced Iran in an international game so this fixture will be the first meeting between the two sides.
Here we look at how Iran got to the World Cup and who the potential threats are for Gareth Southgate.
How did they get there?
Iran qualified for the World Cup after first topping Group C of the Asia qualifiers to qualify for the next round - beating Hong Kong 2-0, Cambodia 14-0, losing 1-0 to Bahrain and then losing 2-1 to Iraq. They then beat Hong Kong again 3-1, Bahrain 3-1, Cambodia 10-0 and Iraq 1-0.
AEK Athens' Karim Ansarifard and Bayer Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun were the top scorers of Group C with seven apiece.
They then topped Group A of the Third Round of Asia Qualifiers - meaning they are in great form ahead of the World Cup and something England should not take lightly.
Iran began with a 1-0 win to Syria, a 3-0 win against Iraq, they then beat the UAE 1-0, drew 1-1 with South Korea, beat Lebanon 2-1, then beat Syria 3-0, Iraq 1-0 and the UAE 1-0, they lost 2-0 to South Korea and then beat Lebanon 2-0 to top the group and comfortably qualify for a place in Qatar.
Who are the ones to watch?
Mehdi Taremi is probably Iran's biggest threat with 20 goals and 13 assists for FC Porto last season in the Liga Portugal.
He forms a great strike partnership with Bayer Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun, who is yet to get things going for his new club in Germany. But with a full season of Bundesliga football under his belt, he could be primed and ready for the World Cup in November.
The pair have 67 goals in 121 goals between them and they will be in their prime ages by the time the World Cup rolls around this winter.
Iran's biggest creative threat is Alireza Jahanbakhsh, formerly of Brighton and Hove Albion, he had eight goals and four assists for Feyenoord in the 2021/22 campaign.
Jahanbakhsh couldn't break into the Brighton side so England fans might not have too much to worry about - but on his day he can be a very good winger.
English football fans might recognise Saman Ghoddos of Brentford and 20-year-old Allahyar Sayyadmanesh of Hull City.
Ghoddos has played 23 times this season and was a pivotal midfielder for their Championship promotion campaign he is good technically and will most likely be Iran's attacking midfielder for the World Cup.
Sayyadmanesh joined Hull on loan from Fenerbahce in January 2022 and he scored one goal in 12 appearances. Still just 20 years old Sayyadmanesh could break into the Fenerbahce side this season and be ready for the World Cup - a threat to England's back line?
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