The Group of Death is a thing of the past with eight of the 12 third-place finishers in the Group Stage advancing to the knockout rounds. However, there’s no doubt that the most difficult group at the 2026 World Cup is Group I. France, Norway, and Senegal are all serious threats with odds to win the World Cup of 100-1 or less, and Iraq are no slouch either given their recent form and performance in Asian tournaments. That should make for some good football prior to the knockout rounds.
Odds to win Group I
France -245
Norway +290
Senegal +780
Iraq +5500
France are odds-on favorites per the Group Stage World Cup betting odds to finish atop Group I. The two-time World Cup champions have been the top team in the world the last several years, winning the 2018 World Cup, finishing runner-up to Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, and making it to the semifinals of Euro 2024 before losing to eventual champions Spain. Norway and Senegal could both give Les Bleus a run for their money though.
Odds to Win World Cup for Group I Teams
France +490
Norway +3300
Senegal +10000
Iraq +155000
Aside from Spain, France boasts the best odds to win the World Cup. Les Bleus are loaded with talent and are again one of the favorites. Norway have the ninth-lowest World Cup odds, while Senegal are one of just 21 teams with World Cup title odds of 100-1 or less. The only true longshot in this group is Iraq.
Match Schedule
France vs. Senegal, June 16, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Match 17)
Iraq vs. Norway, June 16, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (Match 18)
Norway vs. Senegal, June 22, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Match 41)
France vs. Iraq, June 22, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Match 42)
Norway vs. France, June 26, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (Match 61)
Senegal vs. Iraq, June 26, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET from BMO Field in Toronto, Canada (Match 62)
Team Previews
France
This will be the last dance for head coach Didier Deschamps. He will go down as a national hero for captaining Les Bleus to their first World Cup title in 1998, and he has been the head coach of the national team since 2012. France have been excellent under Deschamps for the last 14 years, so his successor will have big shoes to fill once he rides off into the sunset.
France might have the most talented forwards at the World Cup. Captain Kylian Mbappe has already etched his name among the Les Bleus greats with 56 goals in 96 matches despite being just 27 years old. That puts him just one goal behind Olivier Giroud as the country’s all-time leading goal scorer. Mbappe didn’t have the best season with Real Madrid, but he has always shined in national duty and looks fit after dealing with multiple injuries over the last several months.
Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele will be looking to make a breakthrough on the international stage. Dembele has finally been unlocked at Paris Saint-Germain after failing to be a consistent goal scoring threat at Barcelona, and he is out to do the same for France. The PSG star has netted just seven goals in 58 matches with France.
Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue are all attacking options to watch off the bench. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot can make things happen when he ventures forward, while the indomitable N’Golo Kante is set to be the team’s top defensive midfielder once more.
The French back line is extremely talented too. Arsenal’s William Saliba is one of the lynchpins, and Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne is the most capped player in defense with 56 appearances. Barcelona’s Jules Kounde has excelled at right back of late, but the final starting spot is up in the air.
There’s no doubt that Mike Maignan will be the first-choice goalkeeper. Maignan has been excellent for AC Milan and has been rumored to be a top target for Chelsea after the World Cup. Surprisingly, Lucas Chevalier was completely left off the World Cup roster after failing to see significant action for PSG.
Norway
Plenty of buzz surrounds Norway ahead of the World Cup. The sensational Erling Haaland has made Norway a trendy World Cup pick, as he is one of the few players in the world that can make things happen all by himself up top. Haaland has already netted 55 goals in 49 appearances with the national team, but he does have someone to play off up top. Alexander Sorloth has netted 26 times for Norway, and he has been one of La Liga’s best forwards at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.
Captain Martin Odegaard will helm the midfield for Norway. Odegaard has been sensational for both Arsenal and Norway over the last couple years, fueling the rise of both squads. Sander Berge will play a key role as a defensive midfielder for the Norwegians, while Fredrik Aursnes is expected to see significant action. Bodo/Glimt midfielder Patrick Berg could see plenty of time on the pitch as well.
Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer is the centerpiece of the backline and towers above the competition at 6’6. Torbjorn Heggem or Leo Ostigard will likely team up with him at center back, while Julian Ryerson looks entrenched as the right back for Norway. Sevilla’s Orjan Nyland has an iron grip on the No. 1 jersey and will be the starting goalkeeper for this team.
This will be Norway’s first appearance at the World Cup since 1998 and just the country’s fourth overall entrance into this competition. Norway were fantastic last year and hammered Italy by a combined scoreline of 7-1 in their two matches, but they fell to the Dutch in Amsterdam and couldn’t score a goal against Switzerland at home in March.
Senegal
If any country has a chip on its shoulder ahead of the World Cup, it’s Senegal. The Lions of Teranga were stripped of their African Cup of Nations title two months after the final, and that fueled dominant two-goal victories over Peru and Gambia in late March. Senegal defeated France in their first-ever World Cup match back in 2002, and they would love to shock the world again this summer.
Talisman Sadio Mane will likely be playing in his final World Cup for Senegal. Mane will go down as the best player in Senegal’s history, as he has netted 53 goals in 126 matches. No other player has scored more than 30 goals for Senegal, making him the country’s leading goal scorer by a significant margin. Mane is on the tail end of his career, but he is just four years removed from finishing runner-up to Karim Benzema for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
Idrissa Gueye is the most capped player in Senegal’s history and will be playing in his last World Cup as well. Gueye has been a true force in the midfield, and he will likely be paired with Pape Gueye and Habib Diarra. The younger Gueye and Diarra give the Lions of Teranga hope for the future alongside Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr.
The back line is a potential problem for Senegal. Kalidou Koulibaly has over 100 caps and will be the tentpole for this unit, but he is no longer playing at an elite level. Instead, Moussa Niakhate and El Hadji Malick Diouf figure to be the most talented players in defense. Diouf is not very experienced, and he did have problems in West Ham’s back line. Edouard Mendy is a talented goalkeeper that can clean up mistakes though.
Iraq
This will be Iraq’s second trip to the World Cup. Iraq failed to secure a result at the 1986 World Cup, but they didn’t embarrass themselves as all their losses were by a single goal. The Lions of Mesopotamia have surprised in the recent past, winning the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup three years ago.
Most of Iraq’s roster is composed of domestic players. Aymen Hussein figures to be the main attacking threat, and he has netted 33 goals in 93 matches for the national team. Mohanad Ali is the other player to watch with 27 goals in 70 appearances, but Hussein is the player opposing defenses will key on due to his physicality.
Ibrahim Bayesh is the most experienced midfielder on the roster and played a key role in qualifying for the World Cup. The 22-year-old Ali Jasim is probably the player to keep an eye on though as he has shown flashes that led to him being signed by Serie A side Como two years ago.
Iraq will need all the help it can get in defense given the offensive firepower in Group I. Unfortunately, there isn’t much talent available in the back line, so the team will have to heavily lean on captain Jalal Hassan. The long-time goalkeeper secured his 100th cap last year, and he will be seriously tested in a friendly against Spain prior to the World Cup.
