Breaking down Group I for the FIFA World Cup, including schedule, rosters, best bets and more!
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While it’s impossible for any team to be a heavy favorite to win a competition such as the FIFA World Cup, there are certainly some teams that are heavy favorites to at least contend for the title, and one of which is France. They are the main headliners for a Group I that includes Senegal, Iraq and Norway. If you love watching the best players on the planet and prefer to watch individual brilliance, this is the group for you.
With France’s entire team stacked with world-class talent from top to bottom, Norway’s striker Erling Haaland, Senegal’s defensive anchor Kalidou Koulibaly, and Iraq’s forward Mohanad Ali, already with 27 national team goals at just 25 years old, there will always be talent on the pitch. Will Norway make waves at their first World Cup since 1998? Will Senegal qualify for the knockout stages for the second straight time, or will Iraq qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in their country’s history?
World Cup Groups Previews
FIFA World Cup Schedule For Group I
Tuesday, June 16th
3:00 EST- France vs Senegal @ MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
6:00 EST- Iraq vs Norway @ Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Monday, June 22nd
5:00 EST- France vs Iraq @ Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8:00 EST- Norway vs Senegal @ MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Friday, June 26th
3:00 EST- Norway vs France @ Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
3:00 EST- Senegal vs Iraq @ BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
FIFA Rankings
FIFA World Rankings are from FIFA.com
| Team | Rank | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| France | 1 | 1877.32 |
| Senegal | 14 | 1688.99 |
| Iraq | 57 | 1447.14 |
| Norway | 31 | 1550.94 |
FIFA World Cup Rosters
Prediction
To put it simply, any result other than winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be a major disappointment for the French. Their whole team is filled to the brim with superstars, and most of the players that just missed the cut to make this team would likely be the best players on most other teams. Senegal is a solid team, but no team in this group is a true match for France. They should take first place in this group and likely all nine points fairly easily, unless they rest all of their starters in the final game, should they already have qualified for the knockout rounds.
It’s more of an endorsement of Senegal and Norway than an indictment of Iraq, but Iraq will finish this group at the bottom. Every other team in this group has top-end talent, and Iraq simply does not. While that’s usually okay for the group stages, that won’t be good enough in Group I, which is unfortunate for them.
The race for second will be an interesting one. Senegal is the better all-around team, but they don’t have a single player who can measure up to Norway’s Erling Haaland. Kalidou Koulibaly was once one of the best defenders in the world, and he’s still a great player, but he is simply too far past his prime to be able to keep up with Haaland. However, there is a chance he can slow him down enough that Senegal’s midfield and attack can take advantage of a weak Norwegian defense. As much as I’d like to put my money on Haaland as one of the best talents in the world, the talent surrounding him is likely not enough to finish higher than Senegal. With that being said, there’s a good chance they can finish as one of the best third-place teams and qualify for the knockout rounds.
World Cup Best Bets 2026
The World Cup betting odds come from BetUS Sportsbook. Bet from anywhere in the country and claim the largest signup promo in the industry today! When you sign up through our BetUS Sportsbook promo code link here and deposit at least $50, you can claim up to a $3000 bonus!
France to win World Cup: +500
France highest scoring team in World Cup: +500
France to win all group games: +175
France/Senegal to finish 1/2: +275
Players to Watch
France — Dayot Upamecano (Defender), Michael Olise (Midfielder), Rayan Cherki (Midfielder), Ousmane Dembélé (Forward), Kylian Mbappé (Forward), Bradley Barcola (Forward), Désiré Doué (Forward)
Senegal — Édouard Mendy (Goalkeeper), Kalidou Koulibaly (Defender), Idrissa Gueye (Midfielder), Pape Matar Sarr (Midfielder), Ismaïla Sarr (Forward)
Iraq — Ibrahim Bayesh (Midfielder), Aymen Hussein (Forward)
Norway — Kristoffer Ajer (Defender), Alexander Sørloth (Forward), Jørgen Strand Larsen (Forward), Erling Haaland (Forward), Andreas Schjelderup (Forward)
