Wales had not qualified since 1958 but the weight of all that time and expectation seemed light on his shoulders as he thundered the ball past Matt Turner from the spot to send the Red Wall of fans behind the goal shaking with energy. Personal achievement ticked off. Bale won’t be satisfied, however. He believes Wales can qualify from the group and to do that he will need to keep extending himself in ways he hasn’t done all that often in recent years. Though we have come to expect defining contributions from Bale, the sight of him completing full games in quick succession is becoming rarer.
He had 18 touches and won a single duel. South Korea confirmed that Son Heung-min had recovered in time to star against Uruguay on Thursday. Follow Sportsmail's live blog for build-up and match action throughout the clash. 06:51 A reminder of the current situation in Group B Here’s how the table looks ahead of the second round of matches today. England surged to the top with that 6-2 win over Iran on Monday, with Wales and the United States below them with a point apiece following their 1-1 draw. Now, if Wales can beat Iran here and move onto four points, they’ll be in a strong position if England beat the United States tonight. A one-sided win would be handy too, boosting the goal difference.
Or so we thought until the attendance for the Wales vs USA game was announced as 43, 418. The ground is home to Al-Rayyan Sports Club and Al-Kharitiyath Sports Club. It will host seven games during the World Cup. 07:12 Wales fans will be able to bring in their rainbow-coloured bucket hats today Some Wales supporters wearing rainbow-coloured bucket hats in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community - which is persecuted in Qatar - had them confiscated at their game with the United States earlier in the week.
However, the FA of Wales have said that won’t happen at the game today after talks with FIFA. In response to the FAW, FIFA has confirmed that fans with Rainbow Wall bucket hats and rainbow flags will be allowed entry to the stadium for @Cymru’s match against Iran on Friday. All World Cup venues have been contacted and instructed to follow the agreed rules & regulations. pic. twitter. com/9XRlx98V6h— FA WALES (@FAWales) November 24, 2022 07:07 Don’t worry, we’re not suddenly going to have 20 minutes of stoppage time in every game! The sheer quantity of stoppage time being added on by referees at this World Cup has become a point of conversation - and amusement.
A run that started in Frankfurt in 2006 with a second half penalty against Iran was extended, with fitting symmetry, in Doha with a second half penalty against Ghana. CLICK BELOW FOR THE FULL REPORT Follow Sportsmail's live blog for the World Cup Group H clash between Portugal and Ghana, which will likely see Cristiano Ronaldo feature for the first time since leaving Man United. 07:24 A bit about today’s venue Oddly enough, Wales are playing all three of their group games at the same venue - the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan. Located 20km west of Doha, the ground was originally opened in 2003 and has been redeveloped for the tournament with a capacity of 40, 000.
"They play the game with an open mind, an open spirit, fun. The fans put on a fantastic show. So there is no better atmosphere for us to get back to our environment, that we know and we love. "We are very excited today, we feel that we have the right atmosphere now. We are relaxed, we are excited, we have the right opponent to enjoy the game. "Will Queiroz's words prove to be true and the atmosphere suit Iran? (Photo: Getty Images)Luke Bosher·Junior Editor, NewsNovember 25, 2022 at 2:07 AM ESTGareth Bale ahead of the gameThe Wales captain spoke to the media yesterday ahead of the Iran game. On setting the record for most Wales caps, Bale said: "I haven’t really been focussing too much on the cap thing to be honest, just trying to focus on the game.
Wales - IR Iran Live - World Cup: Football Scores & Highlights
That would mean Wales play an already-qualified England in the final group game on Tuesday, possibly allowing Gareth Southgate to rotate his squad and making life a bit easier. So be in no doubt this is a pivotal game for Wales. 06:42 Iran boss Queiroz clashes with journalist over questions on protests in the country IAN HERBERT: Iran manager Carlos Queiroz confronted a BBC journalist who asked about the protests in the country - and demanded to know why she didn't ask England boss Gareth Southgate about British policy in Afghanistan.
Wales should expect to encounter more resilience this time around — and the way beyond that might be instructed by their second half against the USA. Could Dan James and Gareth Bale work as a quick-breaking front-two? Possibly, but against an opponent now in ‘can’t lose’ territory, Page probably needs Moore’s pivot play — the ball needs to stick at the top of the pitch, the advancing wing-backs are going to need a target in the box, and Bale always seem more dangerous when attacking a defence that’s being disrupted by a more orthodox centre-forward. Sebastian Stafford-BloorNovember 25, 2022 at 1:01 AM ESTWales brings out the best of BaleIs it time for Gareth Bale to relax? He has scored at the World Cup.
Wales vs Iran LIVE commentary: Dragons look for crucial win
" 06:26 THURSDAY RECAP: Embolo scores against the country of his birth as Switzerland edge Cameroon JAMES ST DENIS: Breel Embolo scored the only goal as Switzerland's World Cup campaign got off to a winning start in Group G after defeating Cameroon 1-0. Embolo's second half strike was enough to secure victory for the Swiss, as they moved to top of Group G with Brazil and Serbia yet to play. Cameroon's first World Cup since 2014 started the same way their last finals appearance ended, in defeat, and they now sit bottom of the group.
06:59 THURSDAY RECAP: Another stalemate as Uruguay and South Korea draw blanks ROB DRAPER: When football historians review this World Cup, it may well be remembered as the tournament that presided the last rites over a generation of great players. Leo Messi’s fate remains unclear and here Luis Suarez, English anti-hero outside of Liverpool, looked a player on his last legs. His stats from this game were zero shots, zero chances created, two touches in the opposition box and seven passes. One of those was kick off.
Queiroz was incensed that BBC Persia reporter Shaimaa Khalil asked striker Mehdi Taremi about the protests sparked by the death of young woman Mahsa Amini in the country, at a press conference before the national team's match against Wales on Friday. CLICK BELOW FOR MORE Queiroz was incensed BBC Persia reporter Shaimaa Khalil asked striker Mehdi Taremi about protests sparked by the death of young woman Mahsa Amini in Iran at a press conference. 06:34 Wheel that TV in! One distinct memory I have of primary school was when our class got to watch England’s opening match of the 1998 World Cup against Tunisia, with the TV wheeled into the dining room.
Wales vs Iran live updatesSebastian Stafford-BloorNovember 25, 2022 at 2:33 AM ESTNovember 25, 2022 at 2:33 AM ESTCarlos Queiroz on bouncing back from a 6-2 defeat"The game is finished, " Queiroz said yesterday. "Winning or not winning, our position is always the same — learning and learning from our mistakes together and being more powerful, better, more energetic, more enthusiastic for the next game. "Our duty is to learn and get back better and stronger and for us this is a great opponent, the team that we play tomorrow, with such a wonderful player, captain, Bale, a team that has a fantastic football spirit.
The midfielder missed the games against the United States because of a hamstring injury. He has been out of action since September 17. Iran are not quite as fortunate on the injury front. Their goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand had to be taken off in the first half against England with concussion so is unlikely to be available for selection. Ali HumayunGO FURTHERWales vs Iran preview: How to stream, start time, predictions and latest news ahead of World Cup Group B clashNovember 25, 2022 at 1:01 AM ESTWelcome! Another day, another round of mouthwatering action. After securing a 1-1 draw against the USA in their first Fifa World Cup match for 64 years, Wales will return to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Friday to take on Iran. The two sides have only faced each other once before in men’s international football, with Wales winning 1-0 in a friendly match in 1978. The referee for the match is Mario Escobar. The Guatemalan comes into the World Cup with plenty of major tournament experience, having taken charge of the Gold Cup final in 2019.
Wales vs. Iran live stream: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 TV
I’d hope school TVs have come a long way since then but Gareth Bale has urged teachers the length and breadth of Wales to give kids the same opportunity today. With the game kicking off at 10am, Bale said he hopes classes will be tuning in during lessons after the Welsh Government gave the green light for it. Bale said: "Being a 10am kick-off in Wales, if I was one of the teachers, I'd let them watch the game. "I hope they do. It's a historical moment in Wales, for us to be at a World Cup. "Some of the parents of kids I know all want to watch the game but don't want to take them off school. "So I think a lot of schools will put the game on for them to cheer us on and get behind us. "It's a mini history lesson, and hopefully it'll be a great occasion for all of them.
Wales vs Iran live: World Cup score, highlights, result from