It is possible that England will play the first all-British match in the history of the World Cup finals, after the results of the World Cup 2022 draw, which was drawn on Friday in the Qatari capital, Doha.
And the England team was drawn in Group B with Iran and America, and the winner of the European play-off from Wales, Scotland and Ukraine. The decision of this seat from the European annex was postponed to next June due to the crisis of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
The England team, coached by coach Gareth Southgate, begins its World Cup campaign against Iran on the first day of the tournament, the first meeting that brings them together at the level of the first team in official competitions.
The England team will also face its American counterpart, who met him twice before in the World Cup, in the 1950 and 2010 editions, but he has never won.
England have never faced their Scottish and Welsh counterparts in the World Cup finals, but they have faced each of them in the European Nations Cup.
The Scottish and English teams tied 0-0 in their match at Wembley Stadium in the group stage of the European Nations Cup (Euro 2020) in June of last year, and the England team met its Welsh counterpart in Euro 2016 and England won at that time 1-2, but Wales continued its career in the tournament until it reached to the semi-finals.
After opening its World Cup campaign against Algeria, the England team will meet its American counterpart before playing its third match in the group against the European play-off qualifier.
Southgate rejected the rumors that not knowing the other opponent in the group, might affect the team’s preparations for the tournament.
Due to the continuing crisis of Russia and Ukraine, FIFA has not yet set a date for the confrontation of Ukraine and Scotland, and therefore the date of the winner’s match with Wales has not been set.
“In this situation, we all sympathize with the people of Ukraine, no matter when and how this confrontation takes place,” Southgate told the BBC.
Regarding the Iran match on the first day of the tournament, Southgate said: “We will play on the first day, so the picture is clear regarding our program from the end of the English Premier League season, until the World Cup.”
He added in the statements published by the British news agency “BA Media”: “The first two teams (Iran and America) have not faced them for a long time, and the third team is unknown, but we may have a purely British confrontation, and we know what that means.”
England captain and striker Harry Kane said on Twitter: “It’s always exciting to see who you play in the group! Playing on the first day will be amazing too.”
Wales interim coach Robert Page said of the possible clash with England on November 29: “It’s an exciting match. Scotland sees it the same way, but our focus is now on qualifying.”