# World Cup 2026: Group I Predictions and Preview

URL: https://technosports.co.in/world-cup-2026-group-i-predictions-and-preview/  
Published: 2026-06-11  
Updated: 2026-06-11  
Author: Ankush Mallick

**Group I** at the **[2026 FIFA World Cup](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026)** is one of the most compelling sections of the entire draw. **France** — two-time world champions, finalists at the last two editions, and ranked second in our overall tournament predictions behind Spain — must navigate a group that also contains **Norway**, the nation currently boasting the most lethal striker in world football; **Senegal**, reigning AFCON champions with an outstanding recent record at major tournaments; and **Iraq**, making only their second World Cup appearance after qualifying via an extraordinary journey.

This is the group where Mbappé meets Haaland, where Senegal seek revenge on the France side that became their most famous scalp, and where Iraq arrive having played more qualifying matches than any other team at the tournament.

France open their campaign on **15 June**, with **Senegal vs France** taking place in New Jersey on **16 June** — a reunion that carries enormous historical weight.

## Group I Overview: The Group of Death That Wasn’t Supposed to Exist

| Team | World Cup Appearances | Best Result | Head Coach |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| France | 17th | Champions (1998, 2018) | Didier Deschamps |
| Norway | 4th | Round of 16 (1998) | Ståle Solbakken |
| Senegal | 4th | Quarter-finals (2002) | Pape Thiaw |
| Iraq | 2nd | Group stage (1986) | Graham Arnold |

![World Cup 2026](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FIFA-World-Cup-2026-Groups-1-768x1024.jpg)

## France: Two-Time Champions Chasing a Third Star

### The Case for France — and the Caveats

**France** are arguably the dominant team of the modern **World Cup** era. They have won the competition **twice** (1998, 2018) and reached the final **four times in the last seven editions** — a record at least matched by no other nation during that span. They remain the only team to reach consecutive finals in 2018 and 2022.

In **Kylian Mbappé**, they have a player widely considered the best in world football, and one who has consistently delivered on the biggest stage. His **12 goals** across the last two World Cups — including a **hat-trick in the 2022 final** — are more than any other player across that period, as are his **14 total goal involvements**.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Kylian-Mbappe-World-Cup-goals-in-2018-and-2022-1024x768.jpg)

And yet they are ranked **second** in our overall predictions rather than first. The reason is this group. Despite France’s undeniable quality, Group I contains **Norway** (with Erling Haaland), **Senegal** (AFCON champions, World Cup quarter-finalists in 2002), and an **Iraq** side that will defend with organisation under Graham Arnold. There is meaningful jeopardy here. France have suffered some of the competition’s most embarrassing results precisely in situations where they were assumed to be comfortable — the **2002 group stage** (where they exited without scoring a goal despite being holders) and the **2010 player revolt** remain cautionary tales.

### Qualification

France qualified with **five wins from six games** — the only drop being a **2-2 draw in Iceland** that delayed confirmation of their place. They came through in style regardless, with a **4-0 home win over Ukraine** in November. **Mbappé** scored twice in that game, taking his international total to **55**. A subsequent goal against Brazil in a friendly moved him to **56** — one shy of **Olivier Giroud’s all-time France record**.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Frances-ranking-since-2015-1024x910.jpg)

### World Cup Pedigree

France’s history at the tournament is rich and varied. The **1998 triumph on home soil** — a **3-0 final victory over Brazil** — remains one of the greatest nights in French football history. The **2018 title in Russia** — beating Croatia **4-2** — confirmed this generation as one of the finest in the sport. Between those peaks were the **2006 final** (lost to Italy on penalties, in a match defined by Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt of Marco Materazzi in extra time), the **2022 final** (lost to Argentina on penalties, despite Mbappé’s hat-trick), two third-place finishes (1958 and 1986), and one fourth (1982).

The lows are equally instructive. France **failed to qualify for 1994 in dramatic fashion** — Gerard Houllier’s side needed only a draw in their final qualifier but conceded a late Bulgaria winner, with Houllier publicly blaming David Ginola for an over-hit free kick in the dying moments that led to the decisive goal, beginning a long-running feud between the pair. In **2002**, as reigning champions, they lost their opening match to Senegal and exited without scoring a goal. In **2010**, **Raymond Domenech’s decision to send striker Nicolas Anelka home** mid-tournament triggered an extraordinary player revolt that became one of football’s most bizarre episodes.

### The Coach: Didier Deschamps — One Last Act

**Didier Deschamps** — captain of the victorious **1998 side** — has been France’s head coach for **14 years**, longer than any other current manager at their national team. This will be his **fourth World Cup in charge**, putting him among the most experienced tournament managers in history (only **Carlos Alberto Parreira (6)** and **Bora Milutinović (5)** have managed more editions). He has announced this will be **his last tournament**, departing at the end of the competition.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Didier-Deschamps-1024x731.jpg)
*LILLE, FRANCE – JUNE 08: Head coach of Team France, Didier Deschamps reacts after the International Friendly match between France and Northern Ireland at Stade Pierre Mauroy on June 08, 2026 in Lille, France. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)*

As well as the 2018 World Cup, Deschamps led France to the **2016 European Championship final** (lost to Portugal) and the **2024 Euro semi-finals** (lost 2-1 to eventual winners Spain). His pragmatic style has drawn criticism, but his results are undeniable.

**Zinedine Zidane** is widely considered the favourite to succeed him. Speaking at an Italian sports festival in October, Zidane confirmed: “***One of my goals is to coach the French national team. We will see***.”

### How They Play

In their most recent matches, Deschamps has favoured a **4-2-3-1** with **Michael Olise** operating in the hole behind Mbappé. The manager is extraordinarily well-stocked in attack: **2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé**, **Désiré Doué**, **Maghnes Akliouche**, **Bradley Barcola**, **Marcus Thuram**, and **Rayan Cherki** are all available. **Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta** provides an additional physical option through the centre.

France have been **free-scoring**: they have scored at least twice in each of their past 13 outings. This is a team with more attacking depth than any other side at the tournament.

### Key Players

**Mbappé** needs just **one more World Cup goal** to equal **Just Fontaine’s record (13)** as France’s all-time leading tournament scorer. With **four more**, he would match **Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup record of 16**. **Lionel Messi (13)** is the only active player currently ahead of him on the all-time list.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Can-Mbappe-become-the-World-Cups-all-time-leading-goalscorer-922x1024.jpg)

**Michael Olise** (Bayern Munich) has enjoyed an **outstanding 2024-25 season** — **22 goals and 30 assists** in all competitions — and is expected to start in a central attacking role behind Mbappé. He is one of the most exciting players at this tournament.

| Mbappé’s World Cup Scoring Records in Sight | Current | Target |
| --- | --- | --- |
| France all-time World Cup top scorer (Fontaine) | 12 goals (Mbappé) | 13 |
| World Cup all-time record (Klose) | 12 goals (Mbappé) | 16 |

### Squad Notes

The most significant talking point: **no Real Madrid players** in the France squad. **Eduardo Camavinga** was perhaps the most surprising omission — though his club season has been underwhelming, losing his starting place to academy graduate Thiago Pitarch. **Randal Kolo Muani** (on loan at Tottenham) and **Rennes’ Esteban Lepaul** (Ligue 1’s top scorer) also missed out.

Notable inclusions: **Jean-Philippe Mateta** (Crystal Palace) — only received his first international call-up in October and missed a proposed January move to Milan due to a knee injury, but returned to form; **Robin Risser** called up after an excellent Lens season; **Maxence Lacroix** (Crystal Palace) named as a central defensive option.

France’s defensive selections are complex — **Ibrahima Konaté**, **Dayot Upamecano**, and **William Saliba** are all available, but Deschamps can only start two of them.

## Norway: Haaland’s Stage at Last

**Norway** return to the **World Cup** for the first time since **1998**, ending an extraordinary **26-year absence** from the tournament that is all the more remarkable given the nation’s wealth, football culture, and the era in which it occurred. In the intervening decades, nations including North Macedonia, Latvia, Georgia, Albania, and Iceland all reached major tournaments while Norway consistently fell short.

The catalyst for their return is obvious: **Erling Haaland**.

### Qualification

Norway’s qualifying campaign was one of the most dominant by any European nation in recent history. They won **all eight of their group matches**, averaging **4.6 goals per game** — the **highest figure ever recorded by a European nation** in a single World Cup qualifying campaign with more than four games played. **Haaland scored 16 goals in eight matches** — double the tally of any other European qualifier, and the most of any player in the entire worldwide qualifying process for this tournament.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Norways-ranking-since-2015-1024x910.jpg)

Their statement results: **3-0 in Oslo and 4-1 in Milan** against Italy, who were their only serious rivals for top spot. A **11-1 demolition of Moldova** rounded out an extraordinary campaign.

### World Cup Pedigree

This is only Norway’s **fourth World Cup appearance**. Their **1994 campaign** — also hosted in the United States — produced one of the most statistically bizarre moments in tournament history: **all four teams in their group (including eventual finalists Italy) finished on four points** with identical goal differences, the only time this has occurred in World Cup history. Norway finished last on goals scored, despite the fact they had arguably been competitive against everyone. In **1998**, they beat **a final-bound Brazil 2-1** in the last group game (with an 89th-minute penalty) to advance to the round of 16, before losing **1-0 to Italy**.

### The Coach: Ståle Solbakken

**Solbakken** played for Norway at the **1998 World Cup** and has managed them for five years — a tenure characterised by near-misses and underachievement until this qualifying campaign. He failed to navigate the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and finished a distant third in the bid for Euro 2024. His adaptation to a simpler, more direct approach in recent months — designed to maximise Norway’s two world-class players — appears to have unlocked the team’s potential.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Stale-Solbakken-1024x683.jpg)
*Ståle Solbakken*

### How They Play

Norway have evolved significantly under Solbakken from the direct, physical side of the 1990s. The system is now built around getting the ball to **Haaland** and **Martin Ødegaard** (Arsenal), who plays a loose inside-right role that can look like a **4-2-3-1** or **4-3-3** depending on the phase. **Antonio Nusa** and **Oscar Bobb** provide genuinely exciting wide options — a significant upgrade on previous Norway generations in those positions.

The platform is relatively functional but well-organised defensively, with **Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer** as the defensive cornerstone.

### Key Players

**Haaland** is in arguably the best form of his career — the **best penalty-box finisher** at this tournament, physically imposing, and possessing movement and goalscoring instinct that makes him genuinely world-class in the final third. His **16 qualifying goals** are an extraordinary benchmark for what this World Cup could produce.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Erling-Haaland-World-Cup-qualifying-top-scorer-1024x768.jpg)

**Ødegaard** has had a more difficult period — an injury-affected season at Arsenal — but remains a player of exceptional quality when functioning at his best. His partnership with Haaland in the same side gives Norway a combination that few defences can comfortably handle.

Norway also carry exceptional attacking depth. **Jørgen Strand Larsen** has scored double figures in both La Liga and the Premier League across his last two complete seasons. **Alexander Sørloth** scored **20 goals for Atlético Madrid in 2024-25** despite playing less than **50% of available minutes** — making him one of the most clinical impact strikers in world football.

| Norway’s Qualifying Campaign | Stat |
| --- | --- |
| Games won | 8 from 8 |
| Goals per game average | 4.6 (highest ever by a European team in qualifying with 4+ games) |
| Haaland goals | 16 (most in worldwide qualification process) |
| Italy results | Won 3-0 (away) and 4-1 (home) |

## Senegal: AFCON Champions With Revenge in Mind

**Senegal** are making their **fourth World Cup appearance** — their third in a row — and arrive as the most in-form African side at the tournament. They are the **reigning AFCON champions** and boast a blend of experienced senior players and emerging talent that makes them one of the most genuinely dangerous dark horses in the competition.

Their reunion with **France in New Jersey on 16 June** carries enormous weight. In 2002, Senegal produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, beating the French on their debut in the tournament’s **opening match**, going on to reach the quarter-finals. Decades on, Group I offers a rematch.

### Qualification

Senegal were **unbeaten** throughout — finishing top of their group with **24 points from 10 matches**, scoring **22 goals and conceding just three**. Their most dramatic result came in September, when they were **2-0 down after 30 minutes to DR Congo** before goals from **Pape Gueye** and **Nicolas Jackson** drew them level, and **Pape Matar Sarr’s 87th-minute strike** completed a stunning comeback. DR Congo finished second and qualified via the intercontinental play-offs.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Senegals-ranking-since-2015-1024x910.jpg)

### AFCON Success and World Cup Aspirations

Senegal won the **2025 AFCON** — their second continental title in three editions — having also triumphed in 2021. While controversy surrounded the circumstances of the final against hosts Morocco, their dominance across the competition was clear. They are determined to become the **first African side to reach the World Cup final**.

Their recent tournament record underpins that ambition. At the **2022 World Cup**, they reached the round of 16 before a **3-0 loss to England** — a result they subsequently avenged with a **3-1 win over Thomas Tuchel’s England at Wembley**. The trajectory of this squad is consistently upward.

### The Coach: Pape Thiaw

**Aliou Cissé** — who won AFCON 2021 — departed in 2024 after nearly a decade in charge. **Pape Thiaw**, a former Senegal international with a playing career across Spain, France, and Switzerland, has stepped smoothly into the role. He won the **2022 African Nations Championship** with Senegal’s domestic-based team and navigated the senior side through both qualifying and AFCON triumph.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Pape-Thiaw-1024x683.jpg)

He is also known internationally for his vocal protests — rightly or wrongly — about Morocco’s penalty award in the AFCON final, for which he received a **five-match ban from CAF**. That ban does not apply to FIFA matches.

### How They Play

Thiaw switches between **4-3-3** and **4-2-3-1**. The forward line of **Sadio Mané**, **Iliman Ndiaye**, and **Nicolas Jackson** is genuinely fearsome — three versatile, interchangeable forwards whose positional fluidity creates significant defensive problems. **Idrissa Gueye** and **Villarreal’s Pape Gueye** (who scored the winning goal in the AFCON final) patrol the midfield. Captain **Kalidou Koulibaly** leads the defence, with **Édouard Mendy** (two years at Chelsea) the first-choice goalkeeper.

### Key Players

**Sadio Mané** — despite being in the twilight of his career after his move to Al-Nassr — remains the star attraction and scored **five qualifying goals**. He was forced to miss the **2022 World Cup** through injury; this is his chance to make his mark on the tournament. **Ndiaye** is rapidly establishing himself as one of Africa’s most exciting attackers. **Lamine Camara** (Monaco) was named Player of the Tournament at the 2023 Under-20 AFCON. **PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye**, who scored a few days before his 18th birthday against Sudan, represents the extraordinary depth of young talent available.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sadio-Mane-742x1024.jpg)
*Sadio Mane*

### Squad Notes

**18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye** — on loan at Bayern Munich from Gambinos Stars Africa — is the most eye-catching inclusion, having started the recent **4-1 Bundesliga win over Mainz**. **Como winger Assane Diao** (20) is also included after missing AFCON through injury. He returns following what Thiaw will hope is a resolved situation with his club coach **Cesc Fàbregas**, who had requested his non-selection.

## Iraq: 40 Years of Waiting, Paid in Full

**Iraq** are making only their **second World Cup appearance**, having last featured in **1986** — **40 years ago**. They lost all three group matches in Mexico, conceding eight goals and scoring one — **Ahmed Radhi** remaining the only Iraqi player ever to have scored at a World Cup.

The journey to their return has been one of the competition’s most extraordinary qualification stories.

### How They Qualified

No team at the **2026 World Cup** played more games to get here. Iraq went through **four rounds of AFC qualifying** across **21 matches** before reaching the intercontinental play-offs, where they beat **Bolivia 2-1 in Monterrey**. The path included a **two-legged win over the UAE** settled by a goal in the **17th minute of added time** in the second leg.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Iraqs-ranking-since-2015-1024x910.jpg)

Getting to Monterrey for the play-off final required extraordinary logistical determination. **Iraq’s airspace was closed** due to tensions between the United States and Iran, meaning **more than half the squad had to travel to Jordan by bus** before flights via Lisbon to Monterrey — a journey of the best part of **three days**. They reversed the journey after qualifying. The achievement is remarkable in every sense.

### The Coach: Graham Arnold

**Graham Arnold** (62) — the wily Australian who managed his national team twice, guiding them to the **2022 World Cup** and notably taking them to the quarter-finals before losing **2-1 to eventual champions Argentina** — brings genuine international tournament experience to a team that has almost none. He is assisted by former **Manchester United coach René Meulensteen**.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Graham-Arnold-1024x683.jpg)
*SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 22: Iraq head coach Graham Arnold poses for a portrait as Iraq team coaching staff gather for meetings ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup on April 22, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. Arnold, the former Australian national coach recently guided Iraq to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup in 40 years, their last appearance in Mexico, 1986. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)*

### How They Play

Arnold has shifted Iraq away from the technically-focused style of his Spanish predecessor, **Jesús Casas**, recognising that this approach did not suit the available personnel. The current system is a **4-4-2** built on defensive solidity, direct play, and counter-attacking with width. There is an acceptance that opponents will have the ball — Arnold’s side are set up to make that reality as uncomfortable as possible.

### Key Player: Aymen Hussein

**Aymen Hussein** is Iraq’s attacking talisman — a physically imposing number nine, fifth on Iraq’s all-time scoring list, who coolly swept home the winning goal against Bolivia in the play-off. He is the second most-capped player in the squad (behind goalkeeper **Jalal Hassan**) and will carry the weight of Iraq’s goalscoring ambitions throughout the tournament.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Aymen-Hussein-1-1024x861.jpg)
*GUADALUPE, MEXICO – MARCH 31: Aymen Hussein of Iraq reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off tournament final match between Iraq and Bolivia at Estadio Monterrey on March 31, 2026 in Guadalupe, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)*

## Predictions

| Predicted Standing | Team | Key Factor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1st | France | Two-time champions; Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise; attacking depth unmatched |
| 2nd | Norway | Haaland’s 16 qualifying goals; record-breaking qualification campaign |
| 3rd | Senegal | AFCON champions; Mané, Ndiaye, Jackson a fearsome forward line |
| 4th | Iraq | Extraordinary journey but quality gap too significant |

**France** should top the group — their squad quality is categorically superior and the attacking options available to Deschamps across the entire pitch are deeper than any other team in the competition. The Senegal match will be the genuine test — it is a fixture with enormous historical significance and one that Senegal will prepare for with particular motivation.

**Norway** carry Haaland — and with him, a genuine chance to top the group if France are slow to start. Their qualification record was extraordinary, and a fit Ødegaard alongside the world’s most lethal finisher gives them a chance against any opponent.

**Senegal** are the group’s dark horse. Their tournament record across the last decade has been consistently excellent, and a forward line featuring Mané, Ndiaye, and Jackson is a genuinely fearsome prospect. They will push France and Norway hard.

**Iraq** will defend with structure under Arnold and will carry the emotional force of 40 years of absence, but the quality gap against France and Norway is too significant to overcome.

Read More: [World Cup 2026: Group H Predictions and Preview](https://technosports.co.in/world-cup-2026-group-h-predictions-and-preview/)

## FAQs

### Who are the teams in World Cup 2026 Group I?

Group I consists of France, Norway, Senegal, and Iraq. France and Senegal play a particularly anticipated rematch on 16 June in New Jersey — a reunion of the 2002 group match in which Senegal famously beat France 1-0 in the tournament’s opening game.

### How many World Cup goals does Mbappé need to break the all-time record?

Mbappé has 12 World Cup goals — tied for the most across the last two tournaments. He needs one more goal to equal Just Fontaine’s record of 13 as France’s all-time World Cup top scorer, and four more to match Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup record of 16.

### What makes Norway’s qualifying campaign so remarkable?

Norway won all eight qualifying matches, averaging 4.6 goals per game — the highest average ever recorded by a European nation in a World Cup qualifying campaign with more than four games played. Erling Haaland scored 16 goals in eight matches — the most of any player in the entire worldwide qualifying process.

### What is Senegal’s historical record against France at the World Cup?

Senegal’s most famous result came on their World Cup debut in 2002, when they defeated France 1-0 in the tournament’s opening match before going on to reach the quarter-finals. The Group I draw has recreated that fixture, and Senegal will be highly motivated to repeat the feat.

### How did Iraq qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Iraq played more qualifying matches than any other team at the tournament — 21 across four AFC rounds — before winning their intercontinental play-off 2-1 against Bolivia in Monterrey. Their journey included an over-land journey by bus to Jordan due to airspace closures, followed by flights via Lisbon to Mexico — a journey of nearly three days each way.