Group I might be the closest thing this World Cup has to a Group of Death with three teams — France, Senegal and Norway — that look capable of making a run. Iraq is in the unfortunate position of having to play all three of them.
The Post previews Group I at the World Cup:
Teams listed in predicted order of finish. * indicates third-place team predicted to advance to the knockout stage.
France
Odds to win the group: -215
What you need to know: Champions in 2018, finalists in 2022, an outrageously talented roster and a well-respected veteran manager in Didier Deschamps. Les Bleus are as good as it gets. Kylian Mbappé might be the best player in the world, Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or last year, Michael Olise and Désiré Doué are electrifying players on the wings, N’Golo Kanté and Aurélien Tchouaméni can control games from midfield — you get the idea. You would be hard-pressed to find a deeper team in this tournament or one with more star power.
How they play: Deschamps has a multitude of options at his disposal, but a 4-2-3-1 with Mbappé up top and Olise behind him looks like France’s preferred setup going into the World Cup. France can play with blistering speed and skill when necessary, but it’s happy to deploy any style to beat teams. At times, Deschamps has even been criticized at home over boring showings.
Star player: Mbappé is the biggest star in the sport not named Messi or Ronaldo. So important is he in France that he has a personal relationship with president Emmanuel Macron, who once made an appeal to Mbappé to stay at Paris Saint-Germain. He did, for a time, but moved on to Real Madrid in 2024 after a long courtship. Much like Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry in the generation prior, Mbappé’s celebrity has risen above sport to make him a national symbol in France.
World Cup history: Champions in 1998 and 2018, finalists in 2006 and 2022, France is one of the sport’s perennial powers, especially over the past 30 years. Though its domestic league is widely considered the worst of Europe’s big five, France continually churns out some of the world’s best players and proves itself on the biggest stages.
Senegal
Odds: +750
What you need to know: The Lions of Téranga won their second Africa Cup of Nations title on the field in January, but lost it later after a ruling by Africa’s confederation that Senegal had forfeited by walking off the field in protest of a penalty being awarded to Morocco. Regardless, Senegal has all the makings of a rising power going into this World Cup, with the trio of Sadio Mané, Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye providing some attacking punch ahead of world-class center back and captain Kalidou Koulibaly and keeper Edouard Mendy.
How they play: Senegal has a fluid attack and a front three that can float between different positions to cause confusion in defense. Ismaïla Sarr looks like the best option to play behind them, while players such as Pape Matar Sarr, Pape Gueye and Idrissa Gueye can fit into more defensive roles. Coach Pape Thiaw can set his team up in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.
Star player: Mané has been out of the spotlight since moving from Bayern Munich to Saudi Arabia in 2023, and at 34 years old, he’s not the same player who set the Premier League on fire with Liverpool. But he still has the gravitas and ability of a superstar, enters the tournament as Senegal’s all-time leading goal-scorer and can take over a game on his day.
World Cup history: A 2002 quarterfinal appearance is Senegal’s best result in four appearances at the competition, all of which came this century. A 3-0 Round of 16 defeat to England ended its campaign in Qatar, but bettering that finish is an achievable goal for Senegal as it comes stateside.
Norway*
Odds: +275
What you need to know: Norway has been a nonentity in global soccer for the better part of the 21st century, but brings a team that looks capable of a run. Erling Haaland is a once-in-a-generation striker around whom the national side is built, and there’s real talent around him. Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard along with wingers Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa give Norway some real depth in attack. Qualifying in a group that included Italy was surprisingly easy; not only did Norway win all of its games, but it hammered the Italians twice by a combined 7-1 score.
How they play: Manager Ståle Solbakken has tried to set up Norway to take advantage of its attacking talent. Norway can transition the ball quickly down the wings with Nusa and Bobb, and wants to work the ball inside to Haaland as much as possible. Defensively, center back Kristoffer Ajer is Norway’s best player, but it’s a more limited side without the ball.
Star player: Haaland is the best goal-scorer in the world, a 6-foot-3, 192-pound poacher with terrific instincts and finishing skill. He’s simply a monster in the 18-yard box. If Norway can get him the ball, it won’t have much trouble scoring.
World Cup history: This is Norway’s first appearance at the World Cup since 1998, a span through which it also failed to qualify for the European Championship since 2000. A Round of 16 appearance in 1998, coupled with a group-stage upset over Brazil, is Norway’s best result in three trips to the World Cup.
Iraq
Odds: 80/1
What you need to know: Iraq had the longest road to qualification of any team at the World Cup. It took a two-legged playoff win over the United Arab Emirates and a FIFA interconfederation final win over Bolivia — which required a tumultuous journey from Iraq to Monterrey via a bus and two flights — that was the 21st qualifying match Iraq had played over a 28-month stretch dating back to November 2023.
How they play: Much of Iraq’s talent is in attack, with strikers Aymen Hussein and Ali Al Hamadi, but it has adopted a more defensive style under coach Graham Arnold. The Australian manager has set the team up to absorb pressure in a 4-4-2 and take advantage on the counterattack with direct, physical play.
Star player: Hussein, who scored the game-winner against Bolivia to send Iraq to the World Cup, is the team’s best goal-scorer. Currently with Al Karma SC in Iraq, he’s spent his club career playing in the Middle East and is the fifth-highest goal-scorer in the national team’s history.
World Cup history: Iraq has played at one other World Cup, losing all three of its games in 1986. That campaign was also marred by Uday Hussein, son of the dictator Saddam Hussein, who had a major role in running the team and made a series of disastrous decisions.
Group I World Cup schedule
France vs. Senegal, Tuesday, June 16, 3 p.m., New York/New Jersey
Iraq vs. Norway, Tuesday, June 16, 6 p.m., Boston
France vs. Iraq, Monday, June 22, 5 p.m., Philadelphia
Norway vs. Senegal, Monday, June 22, 8 p.m., New York/New Jersey
Norway vs. France, Friday, June 26, 3 p.m., Boston
Senegal vs. Iraq, Friday, June 26, 3 p.m., Toronto
