Qatar World Cup: What Should Iran Aim For If the Country Qualifies?

"FIFA World Cup Trophy" (CC BY 2.0) by daniel0685

The FIFA World Cup is always a very special event and while the next tournament may still be a couple of years away, there is plenty of excitement building about what the competition could have in store.

Preparations are already well underway in the host country of Qatar, with several notable developments being announced in just the last few weeks.

Fresh milestones

In the middle of June, sites including Goal.com reported on the news that construction on a third venue for the tournament had been completed. Known as the Education City Stadium, the site has a capacity of around 40,000 and includes a façade formed of geometrical shapes. Its striking design may well be why it has been nicknamed the ‘Diamond in the Desert’.

Another notable announcement came at the end of the same month, when the FIFA Council confirmed its support for a plan which would see a pan-Arab tournament held in Qatar in December next year. In a statement, FIFA said the invitational event would be delivered by the World Cup organisers and would give them a chance to test facilities and operations planned for use during the competition.

It will be intriguing to see if Iran gets an invite to the tournament, although the country’s primary concern at this point will be ensuring it qualifies for the main event in 2022.

Signs of progress

But, if Iran does secure a place at the World Cup, what would success for the team ultimately look like? As anyone who uses the platform for football bets from Space Casino, for example, will know, the country is 500/1 to actually win the event outright, with that putting them on a par with the likes of Tunisia, Hungary, and Israel.

However, while taking the trophy home might seem like a tall order, a few signs of progress may be a more realistic target – and one of them may well come in the form of the country getting out of the group stages.

This is something that Iran of course got very close to achieving during the tournament in Russia in 2018, as the country finished third in Group B and only trailed behind both Spain and Portugal by a single point. Iran’s campaign began with the country’s first World Cup win since 1998, as they narrowly defeated Morocco by a single goal. A 1-0 loss to Spain followed, while they then drew against Portugal thanks to a late penalty. It may have been disappointing that the team did not go further, but performing so well in a group containing powerhouses like Portugal and Spain was a real achievement.

A chance to go further?

When all of that is considered, it is fair to say that Iran’s last appearance at the World Cup set a real standard. It will be fascinating to see if the country can reach those heights again or whether they can even surpass them by reaching the knockout stages.

For now, though, the primary objective remains qualification and hopes will be high that the country can book its place for the prestigious tournament in 2022.