This is just the second-ever meeting between the two teams, with the previous encounter being a friendly in 1978, where Wales eked out a 1-0 win.
Iran have failed to win nine of their last ten FIFA World Cup matches. In fact, they have only secured two wins in 15 previous games at the coveted tournament and have never made it out of the group stage.
Wales are without a win in their last six games across all competitions, suffering four defeats (D2).
Iran have picked up three wins in their last six games in all competitions (D1, L2).
Iran have conceded eight goals across their last two games, having suffered a 2-0 loss to Tunisia in their final game before falling to a 6-2 thrashing in their World Cup opener.
Qatar could become the fourth World Cup host eliminated in the first round of the World Cup after Switzerland, Chile and South Africa in 1954, 1962 and 2010 respectively.
Qatar became the first host nation to lose their opening game in the FIFA World Cup.
Qatar were the first nation in 52 years not to score in their opening game of the FIFA World Cup.
Senegal are without a clean sheet in their last eight World Cup matches.
Senegal registered 15 shots against the Netherlands (their second-highest in a World Cup match).
98 - Roozbeh Cheshmiโs goal (97:56) against Wales was the latest match-winning strike scored in any World Cup game (excl. extra-time) since exact goal times are available for the competition (from 1966). Stoppage.
6 - Enner Valencia is the joint-top scorer in the #FIFAWorldCup since the 2014 tournament, even though he didnโt feature in the 2018 edition. Indeed, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored as many group stage goals as Valencia (6) in this period. Inspired.
2 - The Netherlands have attempted just two shots against Ecuador, the fewest recorded for a European nation in a single World Cup match since 1966. Dammed.