England 6-2 Iran: Born to Nigerian parents but shining for England, Saka powers Three Lions past helpless Iranians

The 21-year-old forward proved his mettle, pushing England to victory over Team Melli

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka scored a brace in England's 6-2 victory against Iran in their opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

England began their World Cup journey in Qatar with a fixture against Iran at the Al Thamuma Stadium.

Iran proved difficult in the early embers of the game, but England's quality eventually paid off.

Jude Bellingham put England in front in the 35th minute. Before Iran could regain their composure, Saka scored the second. The Arsenal man received a ball in the box and fired a shot which was deflected into the bottom right corner.

Raheem Sterling then scored the third just before halftime to give the Three Lions a comfortable lead going into the break.

England started the second half with momentum, and they needed just 17 minutes to add to their tally.

Saka slalomed his way past Iranian defenders and unleashed a wicked shot that found its way into the net.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish completed the Three Lions' goal haul. Mehdi Taremi scored twice in the second half to ensure it ended 6-2.

Asides from his goals, Saka had 48 touches and 82 percent pass accuracy.

The 21-year-old forward was born in England to Nigerian parents, but he opted to play for the Three Lions.