2026 FIFA World Cup Group I
FIFA World Cup group
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Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place from June 16 to 26, 2026.[1] The group consists of France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway. The top two teams, possibly along with the third-placed team, will advance to the round of 32.[2]
Teams
| Draw position | Team | Pot | Confederation | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
FIFA Rankings[3][4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025[nb 1] | June 2026 | |||||||||
| I1 |  France | 1 | UEFA | UEFA Group D winner | November 13, 2025 | 17th | 2022 | Winner (1998, 2018) | 3 | 3 |
| I2 |  Senegal | 2 | CAF | CAF Group B winner | October 14, 2025 | 4th | 2022 | Quarterfinals (2002) | 19 | 15 |
| I3 |  Iraq | 4[nb 2] | AFC | Inter-confederation playoff Path 2 winner | March 31, 2026 | 2nd | 1986 | Group stage (1986) | 58[nb 2] | 57 |
| I4 |  Norway | 3 | UEFA | UEFA Group I winner | November 16, 2025 | 4th | 1998 | Round of 16 (1998) | 29 | 31 |
Notes
- The rankings of November 2025 were used for seeding for the final draw.[5]
- As the identity of the inter-confederation playoff Path 2 winner was not known at the time of the final draw, positions in the FIFA Rankings were not taken into account, and the placeholder in the draw was automatically seeded into pot 4.[5]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Position will qualify for: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | France |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Senegal |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | Iraq |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
In the round of 32:[2]
- The winner of Group I will advance to play the third-placed team of Group C, Group D, Group F, Group G, or Group H.
- The runner-up of Group I will advance to play the runner-up of Group E.
- The third-placed team of Group I might advance to play the winner of Group A, Group B, Group D, Group G, Group K, or Group L (if one of the eight best third-placed teams from the group stage).
Matches
All times listed are local, UTC−4 (EDT).[1]
France vs Senegal
The teams had only met once prior, when Senegal defeated defending champions France 1–0 in a major upset at the opening match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[6]
In the first half, Nicolas Jackson hit the post with a low shot from the left that came back off French goalkeeper Mike Maignan's leg and out for a corner. Just before half-time Ismaïla Sarr shot over the bar from six yards out after a low cross from Sadio Mané on the left.[7]
In the second half, Mané appeared to catch Kylian Mbappé inside the box but after a VAR review no penalty was given.[8] In the 66th minute, Mbappé made it 1–0 when he finished with a low right foot first time shot to the left corner from the right after a pass from Michael Olise. In the 82nd minute, Substitute Bradley Barcola ran onto a pass from Adrien Rabiot before chipping the ball over Édouard Mendy and into the net from the right to make it 2–0. In the 95th minute, Senegal pulled a goal back when substitute Ibrahim Mbaye scored with a shot from a tight angle on the right which French goalkeeper Mike Maignan got his hands to but couldn't prevent from going high into the net. A minute later, Mbappé got his second goal and France's third with a right foot shot from 30 yards out into the left of the net. In scoring his second goal of the game, Mbappé became the highest scorer in France's history with 58 goals.[9]
          France[10]
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     Senegal[10]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[10]
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Iraq vs Norway
The two teams had never met before. The fixture marked the return of Iraq and Norway to the World Cup finals, their first appearances since 1986 and 1998 respectively.
In the 29th minute, Noway went in front when Erling Haaland slid in to score at the back post from close range after a low cross from the left by David Møller Wolfe. Iraq got an equaliser in the 39th minute when Aymen Hussein headed into the right of the net from six yards out after a cross from the left by Amir Al-Ammari. Haaland put Norway back in front four minutes later when he chased down a back pass to Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan with the ball hitting him from the goalkeepers kick and back into the net.[12]
In the 76th minute, Norway went 3–1 in front when Leo Østigård scored with a near-post header to the net after a corner from Martin Odegaard on the right. Norway got a fourth goal in the 6th minute of added time when Haaland's looping header across goal was deflected into his own by Aymen Hussein at the back post for an own goal.[13]
     Iraq[14]
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    Norway[14]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[14]
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France vs Iraq
The two teams have never met before.
| France | Match 42 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| [Report 3] |
 France
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Iraq
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Assistant referees:
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Norway vs Senegal
The teams previously faced each other once in 2006, a friendly won 2–1 by Senegal.[15]
| Norway | Match 41 | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| [Report 4] |
    Norway
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 Senegal
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Assistant referees:
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Norway vs France
The teams have previously faced each other 16 times, most recently in 2014, a 4–0 win for France in a friendly match.[16]
| Norway | Match 61 | France |
|---|---|---|
| [Report 5] |
Norway
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     France
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Senegal vs Iraq
The two teams have never met before.
| Senegal | Match 62 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| [Report 6] |
Senegal
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     Iraq
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Discipline
The team conduct ("fair play") score will be used as a tiebreaker if the head-to-head and overall records of teams are tied. It will also be used as a tiebreaker for the third-place ranking between groups if the overall records of teams are tied. The score will be calculated based on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches as follows:[2]
- yellow card: −1 point;
- indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
- direct red card: −4 points;
- yellow card and direct red card: −5 points;
Only one of the above deductions can be applied to a player or team official in a single match.
