Iran vs Hong Kong Prediction: Iran are aiming for 4th WC finals

Iran will welcome Hong Kong at Azadi Stadium in Game Week 1 of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Iran are aiming to reach the world cup finals for the fourth time in a row. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

After their debut World Cup appearance in 1978, Iran has participated in the finals five more times, including the last three tournaments. In their most recent World Cup appearance, Iran won against Wales with a score of 2-0 but lost to England and the United States. Unfortunately, this sole victory was not enough for Iran to advance to the knockout stage, resulting in their continued wait for their first-ever knockout round appearance in the World Cup. Iran aims to change this statistic in 2026, but before that, they must successfully navigate the qualifying rounds.

Their qualifying campaign begins in the second-round stage with a challenging group consisting of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Hong Kong. With their recent success in World Cup qualifying, Iran is considered the clear favorites to finish at the top of Group E. Under the leadership of Amir Ghalenoei, Iran remains undefeated, winning seven out of eight games in charge.

Experienced defender Ehsan Hajsafi is set to lead his country as captain, while Ramin Rezaeian, Shoja Khalilzadeh, and Hossein Kanaani could join him in the back four. Mehdi Taremi, a forward for Porto, is expected to start and aims to add to his tally of 39 goals for his country. Serdar Azmoun, who has scored 47 goals in 73 appearances, is the only current member of the Iranian squad with more international goals than Taremi and is likely to play alongside him in Thursday's match.

Iran's probable starting lineup includes Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Khalilzadeh, Kanaani, Hajsafi; Ezatolahi; Jahanbakhsh, Ghoddos, Mohebi; Azmoun, Taremi.

On the other hand, Hong Kong's qualifying campaign started in August with a first-round playoff against Bhutan. They dominated the first leg with a convincing 4-0 victory, scoring all four goals within a 25-minute period. Despite Bhutan's attempt at a comeback in the second leg, Hong Kong managed to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Ranking at 150th place, Hong Kong faces a tough challenge in finishing in the top two of the group, especially with Turkmenistan ranked just nine places above them and Uzbekistan in 73rd place. Additionally, Iran's strong home record, coupled with Hong Kong's poor away performance in World Cup qualifying, makes it highly unlikely for the visitors to pose a significant threat to Iran in their upcoming match on Thursday.

 Among the Hong Kong team, Udebuluzor, who plays for Ingolstadt in Germany, is the only player not based in Asia. With two goals in three international appearances, Udebuluzor is expected to lead the line for the visitors, with Law Tsz Chun and Matt Orr offering width. Experienced goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai is expected to start ahead of Tse Ka Wing. 

 Hong Kong's potential starting lineup consists of Yapp; Yue, Nunez, Li, S. Chan; Law, S.K Chan, Tan, Wong, Orr; Udebuluzor. 

Iran has won their last nine home World Cup qualifiers and is likely to continue their impressive record with a comfortable victory over Hong Kong, a team ranked 129 places below them in the FIFA World Rankings. Expect a dominating victory for Iran at the end of 90 mins.