We're two days away from the start of the 2026 World Cup, and today we're talking about Group I. And yeah, this feels like the group of death.
France are one of the two best teams in the world. The players they left off the roster are good enough to make a deep run in this tournament. Senegal, ranked 14th in the world, are one of the elite teams out of Africa, while Norway have Erling Haaland. And then there's Iraq, the Lions of Mesopotamia, back at the tournament for the first time in 50 years.
As a reminder, you can read our previews for every World Cup group here:
SixOneFive Soccer Staff
TEAMS: France 🇫🇷 | Senegal 🇸🇳 | Iraq 🇮🇶 | Norway 🇳🇴
France 🇫🇷
FIFA World Ranking: 3
The two-time World Cup champion will be looking to add a third star to their iconic blue jersey. France made the final in the last two World Cups and would’ve lifted the trophy both times if it wasn’t for Lionel Messi and co.
Les Bleus have the deepest and arguably best squad in the tournament, led by legendary French player and coach Didier Deschamps. He has been in charge of the team since 2012 and is only the third man in history to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager.
As a dominant soccer power for the last decade, France enter this tournament wih a lot of pressure, but that doesn’t seem to faze Ousmane Dembélé, William Saliba and the rest of the French squad.
How they qualified: Went undefeated and won UEFA Group D.
Best-ever finish: Winners (1998, 2018)
Odds to win World Cup: +475
Key player: It’s no surprise that Kylian Mbappe is the key player for France this World Cup. After scoring four goals in 2018, he followed that up with eight goals in 2022, including a hat trick in the final. He is only four goals away from equaling Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record, and is likely to surpass it. The 27-year-old is one of the most lethal attackers in world soccer, and his name is becoming synonymous with the World Cup.
X-factor: Michael Olise is an exciting winger who has been amongst the world's elite with his club, Bayern Munich, and the national team. Olise finished his club season with 53 goal contributions in 57 matches. He will be looking to add a World Cup medal to his already impressive list of accomplishments at just 24 years old.
What’s their ceiling? Champions. It’s plain and simple.
Projection: France should breeze through the opening few rounds, but might struggle in the semifinals. Regardless, they are expected to win it all.
Fun fact: France is the world's most visited country, drawing over 80 million tourists annually.
Sénégal 🇸🇳
FIFA World Ranking: 15
Despite the ongoing controversy, Senegal are the 2026 AFCON champions, even despite numerous protests from Morocco (for more on that whole sage, check out our Group C preview). They are also one of the most exciting teams to ever come out of the continent.
Head coach Pape Thiaw took over at the end of 2024 and continued the positive results of the previous regime. He led the Lions of Teranga through a flawless qualifying campaign and lifted the country’s second AFCON title.
The Senegal squad is full of superstars playing at the highest levels in Europe, like Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, and Pape Sarr. Despite the toughness of the group, they’ll back themselves to make a run into the knockout rounds, and they certainly have the quality to do so.
How they qualified: Won AFCON Group B, going undefeated with a +19 goal difference.
Best-ever finish: Quarterfinals (2002)
Odds to win World Cup: +9000
Key player: Senegal have produced – and continue to produce – top talents, but none of them have reached the level of Sadio Mané. The former Liverpool winger is considered among the best players of his era thanks to his speedy runs and impeccable finishing. The two-time African Footballer of the Year is also Senegal’s all-time top goalscorer and led the country to their first-ever AFCON in 2022.
X-factor: Habib Diarra is a versatile young player who mainly plays as a central midfielder, but can also play higher up the pitch. Despite injuries earlier in the season, he finished the second half strong with Sunderland and helped the Black Cats qualify for Europe in their first season back in the Premier League.
What’s their ceiling? Senegal are a very sound team that is very hard to beat. When things click, they are devastating to go against. That said, in the later rounds, they are not as deep as the truly elite sides. A Quarterfinal run feels like their genre.
Projection: Senegal are expected to reach the knockout rounds and win at least one knockout game.
Fun fact: Just an hour outside the capital city of Dakar lies Lac Rose (Lake Retba), an unusual body of water that sometimes turns a brilliant rosy-pink hue due to its high salt content.
Play in our 2026 World Cup fantasy league on the new Fantasy Utd app!
Iraq 🇮🇶
FIFA World Ranking: 56
The Lions of Mesopotamia return to the world stage after a 40-year absence. Iraq had the longest qualifying campaign of any country in World Cup history, but they finally made it.
In a country where soccer is one of the few uniting factors, the World Cup dream has haunted Iraqis since Mexico 1986. It was only right that their next qualification, albeit 40 years later, would also come in Mexico.
Graham Arnold took over after some poor results and quickly turned things around. He has been able to understand Iraqi players from different backgrounds and unite them around a common goal. Arnold also brought stability and technical structure that helped the national team tremendously.
Iraq are in what many describe as “the group of death,” but they have everything to gain from these three World Cup games.
Iraq are the only team at the World Cup to feature a Nashville SC player. Midfielder Ahmed Qasem filed a one-time switch from Sweden shortly before the tournament, and made their final roster. He might not be in the starting group, but he's expected to make an impact off the bench.
Ben Wright
How they qualified: Played 21 games, including AFC qualifiers, two rounds of AFC play-off, and interconfederation play-off.
Best-ever finish: Group stage (1986)
Odds to win World Cup: +150000
Key player: Ayman Hussein is the talisman for Iraq, leading the line from the front and contributing with important goals. The striker is mainly known for his aerial abilities in both boxes, as well as his hold-up play. He played a huge part in Iraq’s qualification, including scoring the winning goal against Bolivia in the interconfederation play-off.
X-factor: Iraq has many young, exciting dual nationals. At the top of the list is Venezia winger Marko Farji. While he hasn’t been able to feature regularly for club or country, his talent is clearly there. He is capable of playing on both flanks, but he has mainly featured on the right side. He will be in direct competition with Nashville SC’s Ahmed Qasem for the starting spot.
What’s their ceiling? The ceiling for this team is becoming hard to beat. Arnold’s tactics rely on defensive stability and discipline. If the players are able to follow his instructions, they’ll frustrate opponents and might even score against the run of play.
Projection: The most likely scenario is that Iraq will not achieve a single result.
Fun fact: The person writing this is from Iraq; some (none outside family members) say he’s one of the country's best exports.
Norway 🇳🇴
FIFA World Ranking: 31
It took 28 years, but Norway are finally back to the World Cup.
Erling Haaland and his friends will be led by former player and legend Ståle Stolbakken, who has been in charge since 2020. It’s not just Haaland; this Norwegian side is full of attacking talent, like Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard, Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sørloth, and Crystal Palace’s Jørgen Strand Larsen.
Norway scored 37 goals in the European qualifiers, more than any other team. Their goalscoring, alongside the stability at the back, allowed them to finish above Italy, who were the favorites to top the group.
How they qualified: Won UEFA Group I with a perfect record – eight wins and a +32 goal difference.
Best-ever finish: Round of 16 (1938, 1998)
Key player: Erling Haaland is just 25 years old is already one of the best goal scorers in the history of the game, and he is just 25 years old. He is already the country’s top goal-scorer with 55 goals, and no one is even remotely close to touching his record. Kjetil Rekdal holds Norway's World Cup record with 57; it’s very likely that Haaland will break it in a few games.
X-factor: RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa is one of the most exciting prospects in Europe. The 21-year-old plays a vital part for Leipzig and is becoming a mainstay in the national team.
What’s their ceiling? With their wealth of attackers, Norway should have no issues finding the back of the net. If they can get the other areas of the field figured out, they might be able to reach historic achievements.
Odds to win World Cup: +3500
Projection: Norway should have no issues getting out of the group, despite its difficulty. That said, they’ll be aiming to get their first-ever knockout win and perhaps go on a deep run.
Fun fact: Part of the Arctic Circle, northern Norway experiences 24-hour daylight for roughly 76 days during the summer.
Group I wrap
| Pos | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇫🇷 France | Advances to Round of 32 |
| 2 | 🇳🇴 Norway | Advances to Round of 32 |
| 3 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | Best-third-place contender |
| 4 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | Eliminated |
The match that decides it: Norway vs Senegal
Best third-place watch: Norway and Senegal will be fighting for that second spot, which means the other will take third place. That’s the most likely scenario, unless something goes tremendously wrong for France or incredibly right for Iraq.
