England have won 6-2 against Iran in an energetic 2022 World Cup opening match. Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling scored England's first three goals within 15 minutes of each other at Doha's Khalifa International Stadium. Saka followed his first triumph with another in the second half, while Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish upped England's total to six. Earlier on Monday, it had seemed the fixture might be overshadowed by last minute political developments. Just hours away from kick-off, England captain Harry Kane was told not to wear a colored armband or potentially face sanctions. Meanwhile, Iran's team shunned their national anthem in solidarity with protesters back home. Iran's goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was substituted within the first half, having collided with his teammate, Majid Hosseini. He was left with a bloody nose and was in need of on-pitch treatment for several minutes. — Agencies