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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is closer than ever, and the final preparations are underway for the biggest World Cup in history.
The tournament will quite literally be bigger than ever before, as the field has expanded from 32 teams in 2022 to 48 in 2026. The knockout stage is now made up of 32 teams, and the tournament as a whole features more than 100 matches.
Six of those matches will take place inside Group I, which is comprised of France, Senegal, Norway and a yet-to-be-determined fourth team. The group will not lack for star power, as global household names such as France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland will take center stage.
Here’s a complete guide to Group I’s four teams and match schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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World Cup Group I schedule
Group I table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | Senegal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | Norway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group I fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | TBD | France vs. Senegal | TBD |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | TBD | FIFA Playoff 2 Winner vs. Norway | TBD |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | TBD | France vs. Playoff 2 Winner | TBD |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | TBD | Norway vs. Senegal | TBD |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | TBD | Norway vs. France | TBD |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | TBD | Senegal vs. FIFA Playoff 2 Winner | TBD |
Note that the full list of match venues and times will be updated by FIFA on Dec. 6 following the World Cup draw.
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World Cup Group I teams
France
France’s bid to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup came up agonizingly short in Qatar, when they lost to Lionel Messi’s Argentina on penalties after a final for the ages. Les Bleus were victorious at Russia 2018, Kylian Mbappe’s breakout tournament on the biggest stage that concluded with a 4-2 final win over Croatia.
Didier Deschamps, France’s World Cup-winning captain in 1998, is back once again as coach for his fourth World Cup — a run that stretches back to 2014 and will end with this tournament. Once again, Deschamps’ natural pragmatism will be offset by a vibrant collection of attacking game-changers to call upon. Mbappe might have lost his old ally Antoine Griezmann, who retired from international football in September 2024, but he now has the likes of Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele supporting him in his quest for glory.
During qualification, France breezed to the top spot in their section with five wins out of six to finish six points clear of second-place Ukraine. Deschamps has announced he will not extend his contract when it expires after the 2026 World Cup, so can he sign off a historic tenure on top?
- Current FIFA world ranking: 3rd
- Regional ranking: 2nd (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: 2 (1998, 2018)
- World Cup appearances (last): 16 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: UEFA Group D winners: 5W-0L-1D
- Coach: Didier Deschamps (France) since July 2012
- Key player(s): Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), William Saliba (Arsenal)
Senegal
Senegal will once again make their presence felt on football’s biggest platform. They sealed top spot in Group B of African qualifying, finishing the job in style with a commanding 4-0 win over Mauritania that pushed them clear of DR Congo.
Now bound for Canada, Mexico and the USA, Senegal will be aiming to at least recreate the magic of their unforgettable 2002 debut, a campaign that included their famous upset of reigning champions France and a remarkable run to the quarterfinals.
And if there’s anyone who understands the spirit of that golden adventure, it’s head coach Pape Thiaw. A member of that famous 2002 squad, Thiaw delivered the assist for Henri Camara’s extra-time winner against Sweden in the Round of 16, and he has brought that same belief to the touchline.
Since stepping into the role, he has carried on Aliou Cisse’s work without missing a beat, stretching Senegal’s impressive unbeaten run, guiding them smoothly through qualifying, and overseeing standout results such as the 3-1 triumph over England in a June 2025 friendly.
With history behind them and momentum on their side, the Lions of Teranga head to North America ready to roar again.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 19
- Regional ranking: 2nd (CAF)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 3 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: CAF Group B winners: W7-L0-D3
- Coach: Pape Thiaw (Senegal) since December 2024
- Key player(s): Pape Matar Sarr (Spurs), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
FIFA Intercontinental Playoff Path 2 Winner
The second pathway of the intercontinental playoffs, or FIFA Play-Off Tournament, sees Bolivia face Suriname in the semifinal. The winners will meet Iraq in the final for the right to earn a World Cup place.
Norway
After a nearly three-decade absence from the World Cup, Norway are back with arguably the most gifted generation of talent the Scandinavian nation has ever had.
Erling Haaland, whose father Alfie was part of the Norway squad for USA ’94, is the talisman and, with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard pulling the strings in midfield, hopes are high that Stale Solbakken’s team can make an impression in North America.
Haaland scored an astonishing 16 goals during Norway’s eight qualification matches, putting him well clear at the top of the UEFA standings. Harry Kane, Memphis Depay and Marko Arnautovic were the next most prolific players with eight goals. Three of Haaland’s haul in a perfect Group I campaign came in statement home and away wins over Italy.
Haaland’s father’s generation had the previous claim to being Norway’s greatest as they reached back-to-back tournaments in 1994 and 1998. Egil Olsen’s side claimed a famous win over eventual finalists Brazil at France ’98 before bowing out to Italy in the Round of 16. Current boss Solbakken played in three of their four games at the tournament.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 29
- Regional ranking: 15th (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 3 (France 1998)
- How qualified: UEFA Group I winners: 8W-0L-0D
- Coach: Stale Solbakken (Norway) since December 2020
- Key player(s): Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Sander Berge (Fulham)
MORE: Group I is ‘Group of Death’ in 2026 World Cup
World Cup Group I odds and predictions
Here are the odds for each team in Group I to win and qualify from the group, with odds courtesy of DraftKings. These odds will be updated as available.
| Team | Group Winner | To Qualify | Win title |
| France | -200 | +750 | |
| Norway | -260 | +2800 | |
| Senegal | +550 | +12000 | |
| Iraq | +3500 | +100000 | |
| Bolivia | +5000 | +25000 | |
| Suriname | +10000 | +200000 |
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group H | Group J | Group K | Group L
World Cup 2026 bracket for Group I
The winner of Group I will enter the knockout stage bracket on the top half, scheduled to take on a third-place qualifier from either Group C, D, F, G or H.
The Group I runner-up enters the bottom half of the bracket and will meet the Group E runner-up.
The third-place finisher in Group I has six potential landing spots in the bracket, but only eight groups will have a third-place qualifier for the knockout stage.
Until all third-place qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play because there are 495 mathematical combinations of third place qualifiers.
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third place match
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
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