World Cup 2026 Group I Profile: Who Will Progress?

Group I is widely regarded as the toughest group in the entire tournament’s group stage, and for good reason. France is ranked number one in the world and boasts one of the tournament’s most dangerous strikers in Mbappé. Norway returns after a 28-year absence with a very strong squad, including Erling Haaland, who scored 16 goals in qualifying alone. Senegal, as a finalist in the Africa Cup of Nations, is hungry for a title and features Sadio Mané, who wants to write one last great chapter in his career. Iraq is back on the World Cup stage after a 40-year hiatus and faces some big names right off the bat.

France is the clear favorite to win the group; neither its roster nor the odds leave any doubt about that. The battle for second place will be more exciting: Norway enters the tournament as the second favorite, backed by Haaland and a strong qualifying record. But Senegal is not a team to be underestimated. The head-to-head matchup between the two on the penultimate matchday is likely to decide who, alongside France, advances directly to the next round.

Senegal

In their World Cup debut in 2002, they advanced directly to the quarterfinals after a historic victory over France in the group stage. Now, 24 years later, their first group stage match is once again against the French. Senegal arrives as a finalist from the Africa Cup of Nations, led by captain Kalidou Koulibaly and 35-year-old Sadio Mané, for whom this is likely to be his final World Cup stage. More than half of the squad was born in France and brings tremendous quality to the field.

Iraq

Iraq qualified through the Asian playoffs, surprising many with a focused defensive performance against stronger opponents. The team carries a special burden: soccer is far more than just a sport in Iraq—for many people, it is a rare moment of national joy. The goal is to perform as well as possible in the group stage and, at best, still dream of advancing to the knockout round as the third-place team.

France

France is a two-time World Cup champion (1998 and 2018) and a 2022 finalist. This is head coach Didier Deschamps’ final World Cup; he will step down after the tournament. He leads a team that boasts excellent players in every position: William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano on defense, N'Golo Kanté and Tchouaméni in midfield, and Mbappé, Dembélé, and Olise on offense. Surprisingly, however, Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga is missing from the roster.

Norway

In qualifying, Norway dominated its group with eight wins, making it—along with England—one of only two nations with a perfect record. Haaland scored 16 goals in eight games, sent Italy to the playoffs, and led his team confidently through the qualifiers. He is joined by Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa of RB Leipzig, and Alexander Sørloth of Atlético Madrid. In their last World Cup appearance in 1998, Norway was eliminated in the round of 16 by Italy. With this squad, the goal is set much higher this time around.