Iran's Queiroz relishes facing England at World Cup

Team Melli begin their Qatar 2022 campaign against The Three Lions on November 21 and will also play Wales and round off their Group B games with the high-octane clash against the United States.

"Thanks God we are playing against England. We like to play against the best teams in the world. England is one of the best teams in Europe. Iran is one of the best teams in Asia, and so that's why we are here," he told reporters in Tehran.

"Premier League it is all about progress and quality every single year. Of course we are going to play against some of the best players in the world, but we are going to be ready for that," coach added.

The 69-year-old Queiroz had previously been in charge of Iran already for eight years (2011-2019), the longest stint in the team's history.