The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now just days away, with the tournament set to kick off on June 11 when Mexico take on South Africa in Group A. Group I will have to wait slightly longer to get underway, with France, one of the tournament favourites, Senegal, Norway and underdogs Iraq set to play their opening fixtures on June 16. But this group is already causing nostalgia.
FRANCE
Les Bleus enter the tournament as absolute favourites, armed with a squad boasting immense depth and tournament pedigree. Under the steady guidance of Didier Deschamps, the French comfortably secured their place in North America by dominating their qualifying campaign.
Stylistically, France are a devastating transition team. They balance a rock-solid, physical defensive foundation with explosive, world-class individual brilliance in the final third. Capable of winning matches through tactical patience or pure counter-attacking speed, they are heavily expected to dictate the terms of this group.
Finalists in each of the last two World Cups, France head into the 2026 tournament as one of the favourites to lift the prestigious trophy for a third time. Les Bleus suffered a heartbreaking penalty defeat to Argentina following a thrilling 3-3 draw in the 2022 final, and Didier Deschamps, who is set to leave his managerial position after the World Cup, will be eager to reclaim the title after guiding France to glory in 2018.
SENEGAL
The Lions of Teranga carry the weight of an entire continent on their shoulders. This experienced, star-studded squad represents Africa's absolute best chance in history to go all the way and lift the World Cup trophy. No longer just a team happy to qualify, Senegal possesses the perfect blend of elite European club experience and immense physical power.
Tactically, they are built around a robust, disciplined spine that excels at breaking up opposition play before launching swift, vertical attacks. With world-class talent across every single department, this team has the tactical maturity, depth, and belief required to genuinely challenge the global elite and break the ultimate glass ceiling.
Senegal will arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a point to prove, having had their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title controversially stripped and awarded to Morocco after the Lions of Teranga left the pitch in protest during the match.
Pape Thiaw's team dominated their CAF qualifying campaign, winning seven and drawing three of their 10 games, scoring 22 goals and conceding just three during that run. With a squad packed full of experience, flair, technical ability and physicality, this Senegal team will have every hope of going deep into the tournament.
NORWAY
Norway ends a generation-long tournament drought to bring an incredibly exciting, modern side to the global stage. Having navigated a highly competitive European qualification group, the Scandinavians represent the ultimate wildcard of the quartet.
While their defensive unit will face its sternest test yet against elite opposition, their frontline possesses world-class firepower capable of dismantling any system. Norway looks to control matches through a technical midfield, using quick, direct passing to unlock tight spaces and feed their lethal attacking outlets.
Norway demonstrated their quality throughout a stunning qualifying campaign, winning all eight matches in their group to secure their place at the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
No team scored more than Norway's 37 goals during UEFA qualifying, while they also showed impressive defensive solidity, conceding just five times in eight games. Understandably, this Norway side has, subsequently, been labelled as a 'golden generation' for the country, and Stale Solbakken's side are considered by many as dark horses to go far in the 2026 World Cup.
IRAQ
The Lions of Mesopotamia will make their first World Cup appearance in 40 years when they take on Norway on June 16, having last featured in the 1986 tournament, when they were eliminated in the group stage.
Graham Arnold's side faced a long and hard qualification campaign, with a 21-match run culminating in a 2-1 win against Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoff final to secure their place in the 2026 tournament.
Although Iraq are the underdogs heading into Group I, the Lions of Mesopotamia have shown they can frustrate top teams, including a 1-1 draw with Spain in one of their World Cup warm-up fixtures.
Iraq will also be relying on the experience of manager Arnold, who guided an unlikely Australia team to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, just the second time the Soccerros had reached that stage, before narrowly losing 2-1 to eventual champions Argentina.
Tactically, Iraq will rely on an incredibly disciplined, low-defensive block designed to frustrate its more illustrious group opponents. They are resilient, highly organised, and exceptionally dangerous on set-pieces. While they lack the star power of their rivals, their collective work rate makes them fully capable of stealing a crucial result.
