Group I may be the toughest section. France are elite, Senegal are tournament-proven, Norway have match-winning firepower, and Iraq bring belief after a historic qualification.
France remain one of the tournament favourites because of depth, athleticism and elite attacking options. Didier Deschamps' challenge is balance rather than talent — injury noise around attackers makes the final shape important. Senegal are a serious knockout-level team who bring physicality, defensive strength and tournament experience.
Norway's attacking ceiling is obvious — they do not need many chances to score. The question is whether the rest of the structure protects them against France and Senegal. Iraq are the emotional story of the group: compact, aggressive and difficult to break — even one draw could damage a favourite.
France remain one of the tournament favourites because of depth, athleticism and elite attacking options. Didier Deschamps' challenge is balance rather than talent. Injury noise around attackers makes the final shape important, but France should still have enough to top the group if they avoid complacency.
Senegal are a serious knockout-level team. They bring physicality, defensive strength and tournament experience. Their best path is to make matches intense and limit open-field space for Norway and France. The Norway match could decide second place and may be one of the best group-stage games.
Norway's attacking ceiling is obvious because they have one of the most dangerous focal points in world football. They do not need many chances to score. The question is whether the rest of the structure protects them against France and Senegal. If they defend well enough, they can qualify directly.
Iraq are the emotional story of the group after returning to the World Cup stage. Graham Arnold has framed the campaign around fighting mentality, which fits their role: compact, aggressive and difficult to break. They are underdogs, but in this group even one draw could damage a favourite.