World Cup 2026 Picks: Group I Winner Prediction, Schedule & Team Previews

One of the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup will compete in Group I, as France bid to overcome a tricky group in their bid to reach a third straight final. However, it may not be straightforward for the French after being drawn alongside Senegal, Norway, and Iraq. Find the odds and our World Cup Group I picks here.   

World Cup 2026: Group I Odds

Group I Team	To Win Group I Odds	To Qualify Odds
France	-240	-5000
Norway	+300	-518
Senegal	+700	-217
Iraq	+5000	+340

Group I World Cup Schedule

Matchday 1

• France vs. Senegal (June 16)
• Iraq vs. Norway (June 16)

Matchday 2

• France vs. Iraq (June 22)
• Norway vs. Senegal (June 22)

Matchday 3

• Norway vs. France (June 26)
• Senegal vs. Iraq (June 26)

Group I: Meet The Teams

France

• Manager: Didier Deschamps 
• Odds to Win World Cup: +475
• Best World Cup Performance: Winners (1998, 2018)
• Key Player: Kylian Mbappe

A superstar squad has been assembled by France manager Didier Deschamps, as the nation bids to reach a third straight World Cup final. As expected, the French eased through qualification after winning five of their six fixtures, scoring an impressive 16 goals. All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe, who, despite enduring a challenging season for Real Madrid, ended the campaign with a staggering 40 goals in all competitions.

Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Desire Doue ensure France aren’t light on options in offensive positions. A slight concern would be their weakness in the middle of the park, as Deschamps is still relying on 35-year-old N’Golo Kante.

Senegal

• Manager: Pape Thiaw
• Odds to Win World Cup: +10000
• Best World Cup Performance: Quarterfinals (2002)
• Key Player: Sadio Mane

Senegal are the most interesting nation in Group I. The team won AFCON on the pitch earlier this year, before the result was reversed in favor of Morocco. Senegal dominated their qualification group, winning seven of their ten fixtures, scoring a national record 22 goals and allowing just two.

Their form over the last 18 months is incredibly eye-catching, with their level of performance in last year’s 3-1 win over England making them a very strong dark horse. Conditions will suit their chances this year, while Pape Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, and Idrissa Gueye all have the ability to dominate the ball in the middle of the field.

Iraq

• Manager: Graham Arnold
• Odds to Win World Cup: +100000
• Best World Cup Performance: Group Stage (1986)
• Key Player: Mohanad Ali

Iraq will be the big outsiders to achieve qualification in Group I. They endured a couple of setbacks during qualification, winning just 13 of their 21 matches, and allowing 14 goals overall.

Despite beating Bolivia in the Inter-Confederation Playoff, their overall form remains below the standard required to compete at this level, winning just twice in six internationals at the end of last year. We fully expect them to struggle in Group I, and they may end the group stage without a single point.

Norway

• Manager: Ståle Solbakken
• Odds to Win World Cup: +3500
• Best World Cup Performance: Round of 16 (1938, 1998)
• Key Player: Erling Haaland

Norway have been readily flagged up as the potential dark horse contender in this summer’s World Cup, with world-class talent such as Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland expected to make a telling impression. The signs look promising after achieving a 100% record in qualifying, scoring a national record 37 goals for a qualifying campaign.

However, their performance levels have dipped in 2026, losing against the Netherlands and playing out a goalless draw with Switzerland. Norway will attempt to dominate the ball in their games, but they could be weak in the transition.

World Cup 2026 Picks: Who Will Win Group I?

France should have the quality to top Group I, but the most interesting betting angle is for Senegal to qualify. Their counter-attacking style and the fact that conditions will suit this summer are factors that are hard to ignore. Therefore, we could foresee them finishing above Norway in the standings.

• Senegal to Qualify from Group I @ -217 with BetOnline