World Cup Group I teams
For starters, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first installment to feature 48 countries, so it is already historic. Even further, Group I is an interesting one to look into, featuring France, Norway, Senegal, and Iraq. And it just seems like everyone truly has a “story” and something to fight for. Let’s give you a quick overview of each team and you’ll understand what we mean:
At the moment of this writing, France stands at number one on the FIFA rankings, and they are the joint second favorites to win the tournament. Not to mention, they are the obvious group favorite with good success in the World Cup, being finalists in the last installment. The squad is ridden with stars in Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, Cherki, and so much more. They have every reason to be here and also give Deschamps a good farewell after the manager confirmed that it would be his final tournament with them.
Norway is finally back in the World Cup for the first time since 1998. It took them 28 years, but they finally did it, and they did it in grand style. The team won all eight qualifying games, scoring a total of 37 goals while conceding just 5. Part of the wins also featured two against Italy. It just reflects the land of the midnight sun as a country that has well balanced attack and defense. With the likes of Haaland, Odegaard, Sorloth, they are such formidable opponents.
Senegal is arguably Africa’s most consistent World Cup side and although their 2025 AFCON win is still in dispute, they are such a well balanced team. We get to see the likes of Mane, Jackson, Koulibaly, and several other top players. They are one of those teams that has at least one star player in every position, and we can’t help but feel like people underrate them. We are also eager to watch the rerun of their upset win against France back in 2022.
We don’t think any FIFA World Cup betting sites have ever featured Iraq before, and that is because the last time they appeared in the tournament was 1986. That was 40 years ago. Among other World Cup Group I teams, we could say that they are the underdogs, however, they are very disciplined and defensively organized. We won’t make the mistake of writing them off completely, but a realistic target would be to watch them for competitive performances, rather than progression.
World Cup Group I fixtures
The World Cup Group I fixtures span between June 16 and 26, with matchday 3 games kicking off simultaneously to ensure fair play. Here is a look at the order:
| Date | Fixture | Venue |
| June 16, 2026 | France vs Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| June 16, 2026 | Iraq vs Norway | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| June 22, 2026 | France vs Iraq | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| June 22, 2026 | Norway vs Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| June 26, 2026 | Norway vs France | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| June 26, 2026 | Senegal vs Iraq | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada |
We specifically look forward to the group’s opening match between France and Senegal for the history between them. We also can’t help but feel that Norway vs Senegal would be the group’s second-place decider, so while you’re watching the World Cup group H odds, keep an eye on the result and goals market for that one.
World Cup Group I odds and betting insights
Looking at the World Cup Group I table, we can draw some conclusions on the odds and betting insights:
Group I winner odds
We’ve compared the odds across different platforms, and we have a range for each time:
- France: They are heavy favorites at around -235 to -250. This is a quite obvious one and they have an implied probability of around 70%.
- Norway: With odds ranging at +275 to +280, they are the second favorites, with implied probability of about 20%.
- Senegal: We can call them outsides with slightly father odds of +700 to +800 and an implied probability of about 8%.
- Iraq: They have the longest odds of +4,000 to 5,000. The chances of them topping the group is really low.
In everything, remember that we can only present odds in market context only; just like the World Cup group K odds, they are always subject to change at any time based on several factors.
Group I betting pros and cons
Similar to what we found when checking World Cup group J odds, there are pros and cons to the way Group I is set up in 2026:
- One of the most historical group fixtures
- Genuine market interest in Norway and Senegal’s second place race
- 48-team format increases value of qualification market
- Potential dominance of France makes group winner market one-sided
Group I – Every team has something to fight for
You will now agree with us that Group I is truly an interesting one. It is one where each team truly has a compelling “storyline” to fight for. That makes it potentially one of the most competitive groups we will see in this tournament. While the first place looks like it is already settled (although subject to upsets), the second place battle surely won’t disappoint, especially in the markets. So, if you didn’t plan to follow the group’s fixtures, we are calling your attention to it.
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FAQs on World Cup Group I
🌍 Who are the teams in World Cup Group I?
The teams in the group are France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq.
📅 When do the Group I fixtures take place?
The fixtures are between June 16 to 25, with 3 games on June 26 kicking off simultaneously.
➡️ Can a 3rd place team from Group I still advance?
Yes, in the 38-team format, the 8 best third-placed teams across all 12 groups will advance to the round of 32.