World Cup 2026 Group I preview: Prediction, teams, rankings, key fixture, star players

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.

Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth preview for Group I of the 2026 World Cup, including predicted standings and every nation's key player.

World Cup Group I: France

FIFA ranking: 3

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.

France eased through qualifying, winning five and drawing one of their six games, but their nine-game unbeaten run came to a disappointing end ahead of the tournament as they suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast.

Deschamps' side will, however, have the chance to bounce back when they take on Northern Ireland just days before the World Cup, and FIFA's third-ranked nation certainly remain favourites to top Group I.

France star player: Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe has already cemented his status as one of the World Cup's most iconic figures, including playing a pivotal role in France's 2018 triumph.

The then 19-year-old became just the second teenager, after Pele, to score in a World Cup final, and Mbappe followed that up in 2022 by becoming only the second player, after Geoff Hurst, to score a hat-trick in a final - although the forward ultimately ended up on the losing side.

Mbappe may head into the tournament amid questions over Real Madrid's campaign and future, but the Frenchman has remained as prolific as ever, scoring 42 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions in 2025-26 and finishing as France's top scorer during World Cup qualifying.

Now France's captain, Mbappe will be hoping to stand out on the world stage once more and help lead his country to World Cup glory.

World Cup Group I: Iraq

FIFA ranking: 56

Iraq 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.

Iraq star player: Aymen Hussein

Hussein was a pivotal part of Iraq's lengthy qualifying campaign, ending the AFC qualifiers as the nation's top scorer with eight goals.

The striker followed that up with the decisive goal against Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoff final, ensuring Iraq would return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1986.

World Cup Group I: Norway

FIFA ranking: 31

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.

Norway star player: Erling Haaland

Haaland, the greatest goalscorer of his generation, will have the chance to showcase his quality at the World Cup for the first time in 2026.

The striker, who has scored a staggering 55 goals in 49 international appearances, spearheaded Norway's qualifying campaign, netting 16 goals in eight fixtures.

While the striker's supporting cast will play an important role, any potential success for Norway is likely to depend heavily on the goalscoring form of Haaland throughout the competition.

World Cup Group I: Senegal

FIFA ranking: 15

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.

Senegal star player: Sadio Mane

Mane is the perfect embodiment of Senegal's blend of experience, flair, technical ability and physicality, and the 34-year-old remains the national team's talisman going into the World Cup.

The veteran forward was the nation's top scorer during qualifying with five goals and heads into the tournament after registering 16 goal involvements in just 25 appearances as Al Nassr lifted the Saudi Pro League title.

World Cup 2026 Group I key fixture: Norway vs. Senegal

France will be expected to secure top spot in Group I, while Iraq are the major underdogs and are widely tipped to finish rock bottom of the standings.

That leaves Norway and Senegal fighting for second place and the automatic qualification into the round of 32, meaning their clash on Group I's matchday two on June 23 at the MetLife Stadium could prove decisive.

You can find a full list of World Cup 2026 fixtures here, as well as a list of the best World Cup betting sites to use throughout the tournament.

World Cup 2026 Group I prediction

France are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy, and Les Bleus will be eager to make a statement start to the tournament with a dominant Group I campaign.

At the other end of the standings, Iraq will hope to frustrate their three competitors, but a lack of quality compared to France, Norway and Senegal means they will be expected to finish fourth.

Norway and Senegal, consequently, should battle it out for second spot, and with Solbakken's side boosted by the impressive qualifying campaign and the star quality of Haaland leading the line, expect Landslaget to come out on top.

Fancy casting your own predictions for the World Cup? Check out our interactive World Cup bracket tool here.