World Cup Group I predictions, tips & odds

The ‘Group of Death' at the FIFAWorld Cup was designated Group I, though it finished in a somewhat predicatble manner.

France, Senegal and Norway were the three teams that were deemed capable of going deep into the tournament this year, while Iraq were considered as underdogs. The addition of eight third-place qualifiers made this group less brutal, with all three of France, Norway and Senegal qualifying.

Below, Football Whispers breaks down Group I in full, including fixtures, latest odds and predictions.

World Cup 2026 Group I winner odds

• France – Winners
• Norway – Runners-up
• Senegal – Qualified
• Iraq – Eliminated

France managed to win the group with a maximum of nine points, though their 4-1 win against Norway in matchweek three was not a true reflection of the Norwegians' quality considering they rested numerous starters having already secured second place.

World Cup 2026 Group I qualification odds

• France – Qualified
• Norway – Qualified
• Senegal – Qualified
• Iraq – Elimintaed

Both Norway and France had qualified for the round of 32 prior to their third game of the group, whereas Senegal and Iraq's hopes of advancing rested on their clash against each other.

Senegal would emerge as 5-0 winners on June 26, but they were aided significantly by the fact their opponents were reduced to 10 men in the 13th minutes.

World Cup 2026 Group I fixtures: Match-by-match schedule

Gameweek 1

• France 3-1 Senegal
  
• Iraq 1-4 Norway

Gameweek 2

• France 3-0 Iraq

• Norway 3-2 Senegal

Gameweek 3

• Norway 1-4 France
  
• Senegal 5-0 Iraq

2026 World Cup Group I predictions and betting angles

France

The Didier Deschamps era is nearing its conclusion, with the 57-year-old set to walk away from the national team at the end of the World Cup.

While Deschamps would love to walk away with another World Cup triumph, their performances at Euro 2024 have left many people wondering whether he has gone on for one tournament too many.

There is no doubt that there is still enough quality within this French squad to challenge for the World Cup this summer, though. Kylian Mbappe seems to come alive in World Cups (14 goals in 17 WC apps) while the supporting cast of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Marcus Thuram are all matchwinners in their own right.

Deschamps is also stacked with excellent defensive options, including Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba, so there is little excuse for them not to go deep this summer.

Norway

Norway did not beat France to top spot in Group I, but simply qualifying was an incredible achievement considering it is their first World Cup since 1998.

Their impeccable qualifying campaign, which saw them pick up eight wins from eight matches, has left many experts labelling them as the tournament's dark horses. Italy, who have failed to qualify, will be rueing their luck at being placed in the same qualifying group as the Norwegians, and the rest of Group I will be well aware of their strengths.

Erling Haaland is the obvious place to start. The Man City striker netted 16 times during qualifying, which was 11 more than anyone else in Norway's qualifying group, and he has so far found the back of the net four times at the World Cup.

Dark horses so often end up coming up short in tournament football, but now that Norway have advanced out of the group, many believe that they could defy expectations in the knockouts.

Senegal

Senegal knocked France out of the group stages when they were last paired with them, but their 3-1 loss to the French put them on the backfoot.

While Pape Thiaw's side did lose to arguably the best team in the world, their loss to Norway meant they only avoided elimination because the finished as one of eight best third-placed teams.

Their performances in the group stage were mixed, and they will need to improve considerably in the round of 32.

Iraq

Iraq will have been gutted to have been placed with those three teams in just their second-ever World Cup finals appearance.

In almost any other group, they'd have been tricky customers as the fourth-ranked team, but they ultimately failed to make an impact at the torunament.

Nonetheless, qualifying for the group stages of the 2026 World Cup should be seen as a proud moment for the nation.

Final Group I prediction

1. France
2. Norway
3. Senegal
4. Iraq

Group I best bets

Before you place your bet, make sure to check out the best World Cup 2026 betting offers for this summer's tournament.