Group I was definitely one of the most interesting segments of the early parts of the 2026 World Cup. However, now it’s time to look at the Round of 32, and the opponents of France and Norway, who already sealed their spot in the KO rounds.
Per The Athletic, there’s a 99% chance that France face Sweden in the Round of 32 as Group I leaders face one of the best third-places of Groups D, F or G. If France manages to edge Sweden on June 30th, they are poised for a possible blockbuster in the Round of 16 against Germany (or Paraguay).
Norway will face Ivory Coast on June 30th as the Group I runner-ups face the Group E runner-ups. Shall Norway beat Ivory Coast, they’ll get a barnburner matchup against the winner of Brazil vs. Japan in the Round of 16.
Group I final standings
France winning the game against Norway secured their top spot in Group I, while Norway was pretty happy with being the runner-up, which explains why they rested 10 out of their 11 starters.
Norway vs France
| Pos./ Team | Pts. | GP/GD (GF) |
| 1. France | 9 | 3/+8 (10) |
| 2. Norway | 6 | 3/+1 (8) |
| 3. Senegal | 3 | 3/+2 (8) |
| 4. Iraq | 0 | 3/-11 (1) |
Can Group I have a best third place?
Senegal needed a strong performance vs. Iraq to get in contention as they came into the game with zero points and negative goal difference. The strong performance was given by the Africans as they beat Iraq 5-0, not only grabbing crucial three points, but also ended with a positive goal difference.
Hence, as things currently stand, Senegal are classified as the fifth-best third-place. There are plenty of teams still left to play that could shift this, but the fact is Senegal is very much in play to continue in the 2026 World Cup.
