World Cup 2022 England vs Iran – kick-off time and where to watch in Manchester

The World Cup 2022 in Qatar has finally kicked off, and England will play their first game of the tournament against Iran today.

The Three Lions have safely touched down in the Middle East ready to bring it home.

Gareth Southgate hasn’t yet announced his starting 11 for England vs Iran, but it’s widely expected that he’s set to play 4-3-3.

Bukayo Saka, Harry Maguire and Jude Bellingham are all tipped to be starting today’s match.

This opening England game lands squarely in the middle of the day for us at home in the UK – and a third of Brits are reportedly planning to pull sickies to watch it.

Kick-off will be at 1pm UK time, which is 4pm in Qatar.

The rest of the group stages games for England will take place in the evenings.

If you’re looking for somewhere to watch the game today, Manchester’s absolutely spoiling us with options.

You can see our full list of where to watch England vs Iran in Manchester here, but to give you a summary…

Europe’s largest fan zone has been built at Depot Mayfield as Road to Victory leaps into action.

Then there’s the huge space at Love Factory out past Victoria, which comes complete with a Classic Football Shirts exhibition, themed pies, and even Singing Terraces.

Read more

• Classic Football Shirts’ World Cup room is a thing of absolute beauty
• England players will take the knee ahead of matches at the 2022 World Cup
• The best places to watch the World Cup in Manchester

You can book tickets for Love Factory here.

Some of Manchester’s best pubs will show England vs Iran, including the Oast House, The Waldorf, and Tib Street Tavern.

And then there’s the dedicated sports bars, like BOX Deansgate, The Brotherhood of Pursuits and Pastimes, and The Directors Box.

Featured image: Twitter, @England