France and Norway advance from Group I as Senegal and Iraq fight to survive
France and Norway have both secured knockout-stage places from World Cup 2026 Group I. The final matchday sees Senegal and Iraq meet in a must-win clash, with the loser eliminated from the tournament.
France and Norway have clinched their places in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leaving Senegal and Iraq to contest a straight elimination match on the final Group I matchday, with both simultaneous fixtures kicking off at 3 p.m. ET.
Current Group I Standings and Scenarios
France top the group after winning both of their opening matches, with Kylian Mbappé delivering two standout performances — including a two-goal display against Iraq. A win or draw against Norway today is enough for Les Bleus to finish as group winners.
Norway have also won their two matches and arrive at the final matchday in excellent form. Erling Haaland’s side can claim top spot — and potentially a more favourable knockout-round draw — by defeating France. A loss, however, would drop Norway into second place.
Senegal enter the final matchday without a single point and carrying a goal difference of -3. A win over Iraq gives them a chance of advancing as one of the eight best third-place finishers across the tournament, though even victory is not guaranteed to be enough — results elsewhere will need to fall their way. A draw or defeat ends their World Cup.
Iraq face an even steeper climb. Their goal difference stands at -6, meaning a narrow win is unlikely to suffice; they almost certainly need a multi-goal victory to have any realistic hope of progressing as a third-place qualifier. Like Senegal, they would also require favourable results from other groups. The loser of the Senegal vs. Iraq fixture is eliminated.
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