FIFA World Cup 2026 ยท 6 fixtures
Group I: ๐ซ๐ท ๐ธ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ณ๐ด
France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway. Top 2 advance to the Round of 32 automatically; the best 3rd-placed team can also progress via the cross-group playoff route.
Group I teams
Group I fixtures
How Group I qualification works
Each team plays the other three teams in Group I once. A win is 3 points, a draw 1 point, a loss 0 points. After three matchdays, the top two finishers automatically advance to the Round of 32.
The third-placed team is not eliminated. The 2026 expanded format includes 32 knockout slots, filled by the 24 group-stage qualifiers plus the 8 best 3rd-placed teams across all 12 groups, ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored.
Tiebreakers when teams are level on points: (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head result, (4) head-to-head goal difference, (5) FIFA Fair Play points, (6) drawing of lots.
Group I FAQ
Who is in Group I at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Group I contains France (FIFA #3), Senegal (FIFA #20), Iraq (FIFA #58), Norway (FIFA #33). Group draws were finalised in December 2025; the inter-confederation playoff slots were resolved in March 2026.
How does Group I qualification work?
Each team plays 3 matches in the group stage. The top 2 finishers advance automatically to the Round of 32. The 3rd-placed team can still advance via the best-3rd-placed playoff route: 8 of the 12 third-placed teams across all groups qualify based on points, goal difference, and goals scored.
Is Group I a Group of Death?
Group I averages a strength rating of 75/100, with the strongest side at 93/100. That places it among the tournament's tougher groups, though the specific "Group of Death" label is subjective and rotates each tournament.
When do Group I matches kick off?
Group I plays 6 matches starting June 17. Full kickoff times and venues are listed below.