FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group I Preview

With just over a fortnight remaining until the biggest global sporting spectacle takes centre stage, national teams and their head coaches are making last-minute alterations before they step foot in North America to fight for a chance to lift the ultimate prize in football: the World Cup.

Keeping that in mind, we at SportsKhabri are bringing you a comprehensive preview of the group stage, analysing each team.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the preview of Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, comprising two-time winners France, African giants Senegal, and the returning sides Iraq and Norway. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group I Teams

France (UEFA)
Senegal (CAF)
Iraq (AFC)
Norway (UEFA) 

The run-in

France

The No. 1-ranked nation in the world, and arguably the biggest favourites to win this tournament alongside Spain, 2018 WC winners and 2022 WC runners-up France will once again eye the biggest prize with the plethora of talent at their disposal.

Didier Deschamps’s men had a relatively straightforward qualification campaign, topping their group with five wins and a draw, which came against Iceland in a game that featured a heavily rotated France side. They played both Brazil and Colombia in March in the US, beating both quite comprehensively.

Senegal

The 2021 AFCON champions will be making their fourth appearance at the World Cup, having topped their group in the African World Cup qualification stage.

That said, this team have been on an upward trajectory for a while, with their recent AFCON performances showcasing their ability, although the less we talk about the final, the better.

Since the AFCON final, Senegal have played two friendlies, against Peru and The Gambia, winning both games comfortably, while they’ll also face Saudi Arabia and the US in a couple of friendly games before taking the field against France on June 16.

Iraq

While many teams played as few as six games to qualify for this tournament, Iraq had to overcome 21 games spread across different rounds and an inter-confederation play-off tie against Bolivia to end their 40-year wait for FIFA World Cup qualification.

Having topped their group in round two, Graham Arnold’s side could only finish third in round three, thus securing progression but missing out on automatic qualification. In round four, they finished second on goal difference and had to win a two-legged tie against the UAE in round five to qualify for the inter-confederation play-off game. Iraq beat the Emirati outfit 3–2 on aggregate before winning 2–1 against Bolivia to secure their World Cup finals spot.

Norway

Making a comeback at the world stage 28 years after their last excursion, this current Norway squad will look to make it past the group stage at least given the serious firepower they possess in front of goal — as witnessed during their free-scoring World Cup qualification campaign.

Placed in Group I during their World Cup qualification campaign, Norway and Erling Haaland ran riot, winning all eight games en route to finishing top of the table while scoring a staggering 37 goals in that phase. They beat Italy, their nearest competitors, 3–0 and 4–1 both home and away.

That said, since the turn of the year, they have only played twice: losing 2–1 to the Netherlands and drawing 0–0 against Switzerland. They are scheduled to play Sweden and Morocco before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Iraq.

How each team stacks up

Didier Deschamps and France have not moved away from their blueprint. While that has called for criticism at times, especially after defeats against Spain in the 2024 Euro semi-finals and the UEFA Nations League final, by and large their approach has borne them, helping them dominate world football for the best part of the last decade. Although Deschamps’ brand of football might look pragmatic, as history has shown, pragmatism wins you tournaments. Besides, given the wealth of talent at his disposal, he can afford to sit back and wait for his opponents to over-commit and punish their mistakes.

As for Senegal, much like France they are a very organised side with players in their frontline who can hurt the opposition on the counter. That said, their talent pool is nowhere near that of France, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be a thorn in Norway’s or Iraq’s side. Their physicality and defensive ability both on and off the ball make them a really good side.

Elsewhere, ranked 57th in the world, Iraq had to endure a lot to get to where they are now. Unlike the Asian World Cup qualifiers, where they opened up against a lot of the teams, against teams like France, Senegal, and Norway, they will be slaughtered from minute one to minute ninety if they take that approach. Thus, it’s very likely we’ll see Graham Arnold’s side sit 11 men behind the ball and absorb as much pressure as they can.

Lastly, Norway, making a comeback after 28 years, will want to make an impression, especially with the elite marksman they have in front of goal in the form of Erling Haaland. Given the difficulties they faced against both the Netherlands and Switzerland in their recent friendlies, head coach Ståle Solbakken will look to prioritise defensive stability, with skipper Martin Ødegaard’s vision and technical ability crucial to finding Haaland in transition. While they should qualify for the knockouts, making a deep run into the tournament will entirely depend on how structurally solid they can be off the ball.

Who makes it out of Group I

As early tournament favourites, France should top this group without breaking a sweat. The real fight will be between Senegal and Norway for the runners-up spot. While Norway have the attacking flair, Senegal have the tournament experience and know-how to navigate such difficult groups. Thus, we are giving a slight edge to Senegal, with Norway in third and Iraq rounding off the group.

Prediction

France (1st)
Senegal (2nd)
Norway (3rd)
Iraq (4th)