Group I became one of the first groups producing two qualified teams after both France and Norway secured their places in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France booked their spot with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iraq, led by another brilliant performance from Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice to move onto 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose and sitting just two behind Lionel Messi. Ousmane Dembele added the third goal as Les Bleus collected their second straight victory.
Haaland Scores a Brace Again in Norway Win
Norway joined France on six points after edging Senegal 3-2 in an entertaining encounter. Erling Haaland continued his red-hot form by scoring twice, while Marcus Holmgren Pedersen added Norway’s other goal. Senegal fought hard through a brace from Ismaïla Sarr, but were unable to avoid defeat.
The results leave both France and Norway qualified for the knockout stage, with the final group match between the two nations set to decide the Group I winner. France currently sit top on goal difference.
Meanwhile, both Iraq and Senegal remain on zero points after two matches. Neither side is mathematically eliminated because of the expanded World Cup format and the best third-place qualification route, but their chances are extremely slim. The winner of their final match could still finish third, although qualification would depend heavily on results from other groups.
Matchday 1 Results
- France 3-1 Senegal
- Norway 4-1 Iraq
Matchday 2 Results
- France 3-0 Iraq
- Norway 3-2 Senegal
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 |
| 2 | Norway | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 |
| 3 | Iraq | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
| 4 | Senegal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 0 |
Qualification Scenario
- France and Norway have already qualified for the knockout stage.
- The winner of France vs Norway will likely secure first place in the group.
- Iraq and Senegal can still finish third with a win in their final match.
- However, a third-place finish with only 3 points would leave both teams relying heavily on other groups, as several third-placed teams elsewhere could finish with 4 points or more.
