England and Iran face off at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar on Monday for both sides' opening match of the 2022 World Cup.

Neither are unfamiliar names on the grandest stage, and participation at this winter's tournament means that they are both enjoying their best-ever successive runs of appearances at the World Cup.

For England, it is a seventh finals in a row and a 13th overall, while Iran have made the finals for a sixth time, including each of the last three.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how both teams booked their spot in Qatar.

ENGLAND

© Reuters

It took until the final matchday for England to confirm qualification for the 2022 World Cup, but the Three Lions only experienced a couple of minor wobbles on their way to a first-placed finish in UEFA Group I.

Southgate's side stormed to top spot with eight wins and two draws from their 10 matches to qualify as the only team to avoid defeat in the six-team groups - the third time in a row England have progressed without losing a game - although the likes of Serbia, France, Switzerland and Belgium also went unbeaten in the five-team sections.

Coming up against Andorra, San Marino, Poland, Albania and Hungary, England won each of their first five matches against their qualifying opponents, although their 4-0 win over the latter in Budapest was marred by incidences of racist abuse from the home crowd.

Draws with Poland and Hungary either side of a 5-0 thumping of Andorra did leave the door ajar for England's adversaries to potentially upset the apple cart, but Southgate's men would respond by hitting 15 goals in their final two group games.

Teaching San Marino a footballing lesson in a 10-0 demolition ensured a place at the World Cup finals for the seventh consecutive time for England, who racked up 39 goals - a record high for the nation - and conceded just three across their 10 group games.

Out of all the UEFA nations involved in qualifying, no team could match England's remarkable tally of 39 strikes, and three goals conceded represented the best defensive record in the six-team groups - Italy and Switzerland shipped just two in their five-team section, though.

Coincidentally, England also won eight games and drew two during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, but they only scored 18 goals in those matches, with Southgate's crop more than doubling that tally this time around.

IRAN

© Reuters

Iran marginally edged out Iraq by one point to finish first in Group C of the second round of AFC qualifying, winning six and drawing two of their eight matches after suffering a disappointing 2-1 defeat to their fiercest rivals in Amman.

It is the third and final round of Asian qualifying which matters most, of course, with 12 nations halved into two groups. The top two within each group automatically qualify for the World Cup, with both third-placed sides facing each other in a playoff, before the winner takes on a South American side for a place on the grandest stage of them all.

Iran avoided any of that drama, though, by finishing top of Group A with 25 points from 10 matches. Their only dropped points came against runners-up South Korea, who claimed a 1-1 draw in Tehran before defeating them 2-0 in Seoul.

Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun top-scored for Team Melli with 10 goals overall, while Porto's Mehdi Taremi and Omonia's Karim Ansarifard both finished with seven goals apiece.

Iran's path to Qatar was actually achieved by former head coach Dragan Skocic who, despite setting the best-ever performance of the Iranian national team in World Cup qualifiers, was fired in September and replaced by Carlos Queiroz, who led Iran to both of their previous World Cup appearances.