It’s very much a golden era for French football at the moment, with club side Paris Saint-Germain winning back-to-back Champions League titles and the national team having appeared in the last two FIFA World Cup finals.
H1: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I Preview: French can sweep into the knockouts
Didier Deschamps’ side are joint-favourites with Spain coming into the tournament, though they face two credible threats in Norway and Senegal, as well as minnows Iraq. We’ve taken an in-depth look at each of the four sides for you below.
H2: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I: World Rankings
-France – Ranked 3rd
-Senegal – Ranked 15th
-Norway – Ranked 31st
-Iraq – Ranked 57th
H2: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I Fixtures (UK Times)
-France v Senegal, Tuesday 16th June (8pm), New Jersey
-Iraq v Norway, Tuesday 16th June (11pm), Boston
-France v Iraq, Monday 22nd June (10pm), Philadelphia
-Norway v Senegal, Tuesday 23rd June (1am), New Jersey
-Norway v France, Friday 26th June (8pm), Boston
-Senegal v Iraq, Friday 26th June (8pm), Toronto
H2: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I: Teams
France are commanding favourites to win this group and plenty will fancy them to win all three of their games, though Les Bleus certainly won’t be taking anything for granted.
H3: France (1.37)
Runners-up in Qatar four years ago, the 2018 winners France are the 5.20 joint-favourites with Spain to win the trophy for a third time. Boasting a star-studded squad led by Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé, Les Bleus finished qualifying unbeaten, with the only blip being an entertaining 2-2 draw in Iceland.
Conquered by Spain in dramatic affairs at the semi-finals of both the Euros and the Nations League, the pair could be set for yet another showdown in the last four should they both go deep. Drawn against two tricky foes in Norway and Senegal, the French won’t be taking anything for granted, particularly after warm-ups that saw them lose to the Ivory Coast and suffer a nervous moment or two at home to Northern Ireland.
Manager Didier Deschamps has guided his side to two straight finals, but he isn’t without critics for his rigid style of play, something that isn’t always compatible with a front three where Mbappé is complemented by the top-class Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. Pragmatism is key and the French boast one of the strongest defences in the world. It’s unlikely they’ll wallop anyone, but it’s tricky to see anyone else topping Group I.
H3: Norway (3.55)
It’s 28 years since they were last here, but Norway are considered by many to be potential dark horses at the tournament. Led by the world-class duo of Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland, the Scandinavian side produced a flawless qualifying campaign, winning all eight of their games and putting seven goals past heavyweights Italy in the process.
Previous qualification campaigns perhaps came too soon for this flourishing side, but they are very much at the peak of their powers now, supported by a club scene that’s slowly making waves on the continent thanks to Bodø/Glimt. Haaland is flanked by forwards with plenty of top-level pedigree in Alexander Sørloth, Jørgen Strand Larsen, Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb, making Norway a match for anyone. The main chink in their armour will come at the back as they begin to face the stronger sides, but they look booked in for second place.
H3: Senegal (8.35)
A relatively big hitter on their continent, Senegal are only making their fourth appearance at a World Cup finals and they do so on the back of a farcical Africa Cup of Nations final. The Lions of Teranga left Morocco as African champions but were later stripped of the title due to leaving the pitch in protest at the awarding of a penalty in the final. It was a messy end to an otherwise excellent tournament, which came on the back of an unbeaten qualifying campaign.
Senegal famously dumped champions France out at the group stage on their way to reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 tournament and they will have no fears when facing their old foes once again, boasting a squad filled with players registered at top clubs across Europe. Sadio Mané, Idrissa Gueye, Kalidou Koulibaly and Édouard Mendy are recognisable names with top-level pedigree, though that quartet are all 34 or older now and their talented but youthful core may find this challenge slightly overawing. Targeting a victory over Iraq and a draw with Norway looks the most logical way to seal progression.
H3: Iraq (38.00)
It’s been a long time between drinks for Iraq, who will appear at the World Cup for just the second time in their history and for the first time in 40 years. It didn’t come easy for Graham Arnold’s side either, who, along with fellow inter-confederation play-off winners DR Congo, can certainly lay claim to the longest-winded route to the finals. The drama was in full flow, with Iraq requiring a penalty in the 17th minute of added time to defeat the United Arab Emirates before edging past Bolivia.
The Lions of Mesopotamia are in North America regardless and they’ve been handed a devilishly tough draw, meaning they arrive here with low expectations. Iraq will look to keep things tight and can point to a sensational recent draw in Spain as a cause for optimism, though it’s hard to see a repeat on the big stage for a side whose most recognisable name is Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi.
FIFA World Cup Group I: Best Bets
Back France to win and Under 2.5 Goals v Senegal @ 2.80 with kwiff
Back Norway to win, Over 2.5 Goals and Haaland anytime v Iraq @ 1.95 with kwiff
By Nick Seddon
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