{"id":15594,"date":"2026-06-14T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=15594"},"modified":"2026-06-14T06:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:30:11","slug":"group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/","title":{"rendered":"Group I Preview: France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last time France and Senegal shared a World Cup group, it did not go to plan for the reigning champions. Senegal walked out at the 2002 World Cup, beat France 1-0, and sent shockwaves through the entire tournament. France went home in the group stage. Senegal reached the quarter-finals.<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/#France_redemption_twenty-four_years_in_the_making\" title=\"France: redemption, twenty-four years in the making\">France: redemption, twenty-four years in the making<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/#Senegal_the_lions_who_never_forgot_2002\" title=\"Senegal: the lions who never forgot 2002\">Senegal: the lions who never forgot 2002<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/#Norway_one_man_one_mission\" title=\"Norway: one man, one mission\">Norway: one man, one mission<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/#Iraq_written_off_too_quickly\" title=\"Iraq: written off too quickly\">Iraq: written off too quickly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/#Group_I_fixtures_all_times_IST\" title=\"Group I fixtures (all times IST)\">Group I fixtures (all times IST)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/#The_verdict\" title=\"The verdict\">The verdict<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twenty-four years later, they meet again. Group I of the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 opens on June 17 with France vs Senegal \u2014 and the weight of that history hangs over both sides. France will want to set the record straight. Senegal will want to write a new chapter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Norway arrive with Erling Haaland and a simple proposition: give him a chance, any chance, and he will score. Iraq are here, having shown at least once this year that they can compete with the very best \u2014 even if Spain&#8217;s strongest players were not all on the pitch in the warm-up friendly. This group has stories running in every direction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watch the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/a> live in India on ZEE5. Choose the \u20b9799 quarterly plan or the \u20b91,699 annual plan to stream every Group I match live.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"France_redemption_twenty-four_years_in_the_making\"><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/france\/france-squad\">France<\/a>: redemption, twenty-four years in the making<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France do not like talking about 2002. Defending champions, Zinedine Zidane injured, eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal. Senegal were responsible for the wound that opened it all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This France side is built differently. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 leads the attack with a combination of pace and finishing that remains unmatched in world football. Michael Olise, arriving at this FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 in the form of his life after a hat-trick in the final warm-up, gives Deschamps a genuine option on the wide right who can unlock any defence. Antoine Griezmann brings intelligence and movement in the spaces between the lines. France are not here to manage the group \u2014 they are here to dominate it. The Senegal match is the acid test. Win that, and everything else becomes significantly simpler.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Senegal_the_lions_who_never_forgot_2002\"><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/senegal\/senegal-squad\">Senegal<\/a>: the lions who never forgot 2002<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senegal were Africa&#8217;s finest team at the 2002 World Cup. They beat France. They beat Sweden. They reached the quarter-finals. It remains the high-water mark of Senegalese football.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current generation has its own claims to history \u2014 AFCON champions in 2021 and runners-up in 2025 \u2014 and is built around one of the most technically gifted squads the continent has ever produced. Sadio Man\u00e9 may no longer be the Man\u00e9 of Liverpool, but his movement and experience in big matches still matter. Around him, the squad depth is real. If Senegal can draw with France on matchday one, they keep themselves in the conversation for first place and make the path to the knockout rounds much cleaner. A repeat of 2002 is too much to ask of any neutral. But Senegal will make France work for every point.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Norway_one_man_one_mission\"><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/norway\/norway-squad\">Norway<\/a>: one man, one mission<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erling Haaland is the reason to watch Norway. That is not an insult to his teammates \u2014 it is simply the truth about what he does to a match.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He does not need much. A cross he can get to. A rebound. Half a yard of space in the box. Defenders at the highest level know this yet still cannot consistently stop him. Norway are a functional, well-organised side \u2014 compact, physical, and difficult to break down. They will not match France for individual brilliance or Senegal for collective quality. What they have is Haaland, and Haaland has a habit of making the difference in matches where nothing else does. Second place in this group is up for grabs in Senegal vs Norway on June 23 at 5:30 AM IST \u2014 that match could decide everything.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Iraq_written_off_too_quickly\"><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/iraq\/iraq-squad\">Iraq<\/a>: written off too quickly<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iraq look like the fourth side in this group on paper. They may well finish fourth. But dismiss them entirely, and you risk being embarrassed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a recent warm-up against Spain, Iraq held their own. Spain were not at full strength \u2014 several of their key players were on the bench \u2014 but Iraq showed the kind of defensive discipline and tactical awareness that can make them difficult to break down even against superior opposition. They qualified for this FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 through the AFC with results that consistently surprised. A point against Norway or Senegal is not impossible. In World Cup Football 2026, stranger things have already happened.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Group_I_fixtures_all_times_IST\"><\/span><b>Group I fixtures (all times IST)<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Match<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Fixture<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Date (IST)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Kick-off (IST)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Venue<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France vs Senegal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jun 17<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MetLife Stadium, New York\/New Jersey<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Norway vs Iraq<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jun 17<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gillette Stadium, Boston<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France vs Iraq<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jun 23<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Norway vs Senegal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jun 23<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MetLife Stadium, New York\/New Jersey<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Norway vs France<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jun 27<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gillette Stadium, Boston<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senegal vs Iraq<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jun 27<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BMO Field, Toronto<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_verdict\"><\/span><b>The verdict<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France should top the group. Their quality is too deep and too consistent for Norway, Senegal, or Iraq to overcome across three matches. The June 17 opener against Senegal is the one occasion where that certainty wobbles slightly \u2014 history has a way of making itself felt in football, and Senegal are not here to be respectful opposition. Second place is between Senegal and Norway, and the June 23 match between them decides it. Haaland vs Senegal&#8217;s defence. A draw keeps both sides alive. A winner probably goes through. Iraq will compete, will cause problems in at least one match, and may take a point that matters to someone. France and one of Senegal or Norway advance. The 2002 sequel starts on June 17.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watch France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq live on ZEE5 \u2014 the official streaming home for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India. Explore the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\">ZEE5 FIFA subscription<\/a> plans and catch every Group I match from the first whistle.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The last time France and Senegal shared a World Cup group, it did not go to plan for the reigning champions. Senegal walked out at the 2002 World Cup, beat France 1-0, and sent shockwaves through the entire tournament. France went home in the group stage. Senegal reached the quarter-finals. Twenty-four years later, they meet [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3122],"class_list":["post-15594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-group-i"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Group I Preview: France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq - ZEE5 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FIFA 2026 Group I preview France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq analysis, key players, fixtures, and qualification chances.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-i-preview-france-senegal-norway-and-iraq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Group I Preview: France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq - 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