England reminds Group B rivals they are all playing for second place

The Three Lions destroyed Iran 6-2 in their World Cup opener

England made a major statement in its World Cup opener, hammering Iran 6-2 to lay down a marker in Group B.

The Three Lions were always favored to finish atop a group that also includes the U.S. and Wales, but the emphatic nature of their win on Monday underlined their status as the class of their World Cup group.

It was England’s young stars who shined the brightest at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, with 19-year-old Jude Bellingham opening the scoring with a header before 21-year-old Bukayo Saka scored a brace in his first World Cup game.

After reaching the semifinal of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020, England entered the 2022 World Cup as one of the favorites and its performance against an overwhelmed Iranian side did nothing to dispel that notion.

Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford would also get on the scoresheet in a comprehensive win.

The only downside for England came in the second half, when defender Harry Maguire was forced off with a suspected head injury.

But the four-goal margin of victory set England on course to finish atop Group B, with goal differential as the first tiebreaker. Next up for the Three Lions is a showdown with the USMNT on Friday, which will be followed by a match against Wales on November 29.

Watch Bellingham and Saka’s goals vs. Iran

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