Countdown to the World Cup

Today, as Brazil counts down to the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, IranWire launches its football coverage. We’ll look at the hopes, expectations and strategies of Iran’s team, which qualified for the competition after it defeated South Korea 1-0 last June. How will the team fare against some of the world’s football giants? What steps will Iran’s coach, Carlos Queiroz, take to ensure Iran excels against Nigeria, Argentina and Bosnia? What are the fans saying?

Our correspondents will offer unique perspectives on the “biggest single-event sporting competition in the world,” from tactics, news, and predictions to interviews with experts—as well as with ordinary Brazilians, as they witness the month-long competition.

Here are profiles of IranWire’s World Cup correspondents:

Jonathan Wilson will be our chief correspondent, reporting on the latest news and developments and offering analysis on team strategies and outlook. Wilson reports regularly on international football, and has covered the last five African Cup of Nations championships. He is the author of several books, including Inverting the Pyramid, which was named Football Book of the Year at the British Sports Book Awards in 2009. His other books include The Outsider: A History of the Goalkeeper, Behind the Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football and Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You, a biography of one of England’s most influential football managers. Wilson is also editor of The Blizzard, a quarterly football publication. He is currently writing a book on Argentinian football. Follow him on Twitter: @jonawils

Patricia Gomes will report on the Iran-Nigeria match in Curitiba on June 16th. A London-based journalist with international experience, she has reported on news and current affairs in Palestine, Mauritania and Turkey, as well as in her native Brazil. Gomes has been a reporter and camerawoman for 18 years, and worked as a researcher on the award-winning documentary Eh Tudo Verdadade. Follow her on Twitter: @Palion

Marco Gramacho has more than 14 years’ experience in international journalism, focusing on technology, human rights, economics and Brazilian domestic affairs. He is winner of the Banco de Brasil Journalism Award. He will report on the Iran-Bosnia-Herzegovina game in Salvador-Bahia on June 25^th. 

Bruno Vita Hazov Coura is a journalist, cartoonist and documentary maker based in São Paulo. Hazov will report on the Iran-Argentina match in Belo Horizonte on June 21st. Follow him on Twitter: @Hazov

Sasa Ibrulj is Bosnian football writer and expert on Balkans football. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian and The Blizzard and has also written for World Soccer and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter: @sasaibrulj

Karina Pignataro is a Sao Paulo-based journalist with experience in social, human rights and current affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @karina_pig