World Cup 2026 Group I: France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq - Mbappé and Haaland Dominate Matchday 1
GROUP COMPLETE, France 1st (9 pts, GD +8), Norway 2nd (6 pts), Senegal 3rd (3 pts), Iraq 4th (0 pts). MD3 results: France 4-1 Norway (Dembélé hat-trick 7'20'32', 2nd-fastest in WC history, Doué 90+, Aasgaard reply; Haaland rested); Senegal 5-0 Iraq. Both France and Norway advance to Round of 32. MD1: France 3-1 Senegal, Norway 4-1 Iraq. MD2: France 3-0 Iraq (thunderstorm suspension), Norway 3-2 Senegal (Haaland 4 WC goals).
The context
Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup may prove to be the most star-studded group of the tournament, and Matchday 1 delivered exactly the kind of spectacle that was expected.
At MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on June 16, France faced Senegal in what was one of the most anticipated clashes of the group stage. The match was tightly contested for over an hour before France’s quality told. Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 66th minute, Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 82nd, and Mbappé completed his brace in deep stoppage time (90+6’) before Senegal replied through Ibrahim Mbaye in the final moments. France won 3-1. The scoreline undersells Senegal’s resilience in the first hour, but Mbappé’s influence was decisive. Two goals took his World Cup career tally to 14, and his total of 58 international goals makes him the greatest French scorer in history, surpassing Olivier Giroud.
In Foxborough, Norway against Iraq was a very different kind of match. Erling Haaland, a man who had never scored at a World Cup because Norway had never qualified for one in his career, finally had his stage. He took it emphatically: his 29th-minute opener, Norway’s 43rd-minute second (also Haaland), a brief Iraqi equaliser in the 39th that only delayed the inevitable, and then Østigård’s 76th-minute header and a late own goal to complete a 4-1 win. The dominant victory put Norway top of Group I on goal difference, though they will know France are the real benchmark when the two nations meet in MD3 on June 26 in Foxborough.
Matchday 2 delivered what the group promised. In Philadelphia on June 22, France’s match against Iraq was anything but routine. Mbappé struck in the 14th minute before the heavens literally opened: a violent thunderstorm forced referee Carlos del Cerro Grande to suspend play at half-time. After a two-hour wait, with players retreating to the locker rooms and fans sheltering in the concourses, the match resumed and France took full control. Mbappé added his second goal after the restart and Ousmane Dembélé sealed a 3-0 win in the 74th minute. France are through with 6 points, their MD3 against Norway is now a battle for group glory rather than survival.
In East Rutherford on June 23, Norway faced a Senegal side fighting for pride and the faint possibility of a best third-placed finish. Pedersen opened (12’), Sarr equalised (61’), Haaland struck twice to put Norway 3-1 up, and Sarr pulled one back (78’) to give the tie a nervy finale. Norway held on, 3-2, to claim 6 points and a guaranteed knockout place. Haaland now has 4 World Cup goals in 2 appearances, the joint-highest in the tournament alongside Messi.
Matchday 3, June 26, France’s masterclass closes the group. Norway rested Erling Haaland and around 10 other first-choice players for the group finale in Foxborough, a strategic decision for the knockout stage that backfired spectacularly. Ousmane Dembélé scored three times in the first half (7’, 20’, 32’), the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history, to give France a commanding 3-0 lead before the break. Thelo Aasgaard replied moments after the half-time whistle to make it 3-1, but Désiré Doué added a fourth in injury time to complete a 4-1 rout. In Toronto, Senegal beat Iraq 5-0 to finish third with 3 points. Final group table: France 1st (9 pts, GD +8), Norway 2nd (6 pts), Senegal 3rd (3 pts), Iraq last (0 pts). Both France and Norway advance to the Round of 32.