The former Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz will reportedly lead Iran into the 2022 World Cup, where Iran will face USA, England and Wales in the group-stage at Qatar.
Queiroz was hired to replace Dragan Skocic, and he will be reunited with Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj, who was re-elected last month.
Queiroz will now go to his fourth World Cup — he coached his native Portugal in 2010, then Iran in 2014 and 2018 — after failing to lead Egypt to this year’s tournament. After leading Iran through qualification, Iran’s former coach Dragan Skocicwas was sacked in July but then reinstated six days later.
Two more World Cup coaches, Ghana’s Otto Addo and Tunisia’s Jalen Kadri, got their jobs only this year. Both were appointed weeks ahead of winning in the African playoffs.
Iran has never advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup. The team’s first match this year will be on Nov. 21 — the second day of the tournament — against England, where Queiroz worked for several years. He had two spells at Manchester United as assistant to Alex Ferguson, and between those coached Real Madrid in the 2003-4 season.
Quieroz’s first preparation games with Iran will be friendlies against Uruguay on Sept. 23 in Austria and Senegal four days later.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Themba Hadebe
