Group I — the line-up
- France
- Senegal
- Norway
- Iraq
The opening match
France vs Iraq — Tuesday 16 June, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The defining match
France vs Senegal — date confirms at fifa.com closer to kickoff, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
What’s at stake
Group of Death candidate: Mbappé vs Haaland vs a Senegal side that beat France in 2002. Iraq are the spoiler nobody wants to meet. France enter as fair second favourites at 11/2 (6.50) — Deschamps’ final tournament. Norway are the dark horse — Haaland scored 16 in 8 qualifiers, and at 25/1 (26.00) outright there’s genuine value if you believe the Mbappé-vs-Haaland matchup creates real variance in Group I.
Top scorer market
Erling Haaland (Norway) — if Norway can scrap out enough minutes, his per-90 ceiling beats anyone
Our betting view
Norway at 25/1 (26.00) outright is the highest-EV non-favourite play in the tournament. Senegal to qualify second is also fair. Iraq are the live in-play target — they’ll be priced as zero variance, which isn’t how Iraq actually play.
How qualification works
Twelve groups, four teams each, top two advance plus the eight best third-place finishers fill out the new Round of 32. That third-place lifeline matters more than people realise — even teams that lose their opener can still progress with a single draw and a win.
Where to bet on Group I
Group-stage markets are where sportsbooks differentiate hardest. Books with the deepest group-winner, qualification, exact-finishing-positions and head-to-head markets win the group-stage audit. See our ranked sportsbook line-up for WC 2026.
Related content
- World Cup 2026 hub — full tournament overview
- World Cup 2026 outright predictions — winner, Golden Boot, dark horses
- Best betting sites for WC 2026
- Free bets for the World Cup 2026
18+ only. Odds quoted are a snapshot and change frequently. Bet responsibly: BeGambleAware.