Norway and France battle for top spot in World Cup Group I

By Bilal Ahmed

By Bilal Ahmed — 26 June 2026 — 3 min read

Group I standings and qualification

The race for the World Cup knockout stage is intensifying as the final Group I matches are played. Both France and Norway have already secured their places in the Round of 32. However, the top spot in Group I is still contested between the two nations.

As of Friday, France leads Group I, with Norway in second position. The outcome of their match will determine which team finishes first in the group.

Match details and predictions

The match between Norway and France is scheduled to take place at Boston Stadium in the United States. This will be the 16th encounter between these two nations, and their first meeting since a friendly match in 2014. Historically, Norway has won two of their previous competitive meetings against France, with their last victory occurring in a European Championship qualifier in 1987. Norway is also seeking their first World Cup win against European opposition, having previously drawn two and lost three such matches.

France, on the other hand, has a strong record in World Cup matches against European teams, having won their last five. According to one analysis, France has a 59.4 percent chance of victory, while a draw is rated at 20.6 percent. Norway is given a 20 percent chance of claiming the three points.

The match officials for the game include Michael Oliver as referee, with Jarred Gillett as the Video Assistant Referee. Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring will serve as Assistant Referees, and Ning Ma is the Fourth Official. Bram van Driessche is the Assistant VAR Official.

Key match statistics

During the game, Norway had 6 shots compared to France‘s 14. Shots on target were 3 for Norway and 8 for France. Both teams had 19 total touches inside the opposition box. Norway‘s goalkeeper made 5 saves, while France‘s goalkeeper made 2. In terms of possession, Norway had 48.7% compared to France‘s 51.3%.

Other statistics show Norway committed 5 fouls, while France committed 7. Norway had 2 corners, and France had 3. Norway completed 248 total passes with a 79% pass accuracy, whereas France completed 342 passes with an 86.3% accuracy.

In the second half, Leo Ostigard of Norway had an opportunity from a corner, meeting the ball with a header that went just wide.

Other Group I match and knockout race

Another Group I match scheduled for Friday is Senegal versus Iraq at Toronto Stadium in Canada. This marks their first World Cup meeting. Senegal remains unbeaten against AFC opposition in the tournament, having drawn with Japan in 2018 and defeated Qatar in 2022. Iraq has not yet faced an African team at a World Cup.

One analysis suggests Senegal has a 77.2 percent chance of victory in their match against Iraq, with Iraq having an 8.6 percent chance and a draw rated at 14.2 percent. Senegal has a 72.2 percent chance of reaching the last 32, while Iraq‘s chances of progressing are significantly lower at 1.1 percent.

Beyond Group I, 13 places in the Round of 32 are still available as the final group-stage matches conclude.

Source: bbc.com