France will kick off the section against Senegal in a match that will stir memories of the opening match at Korea/Japan 2002, though Didier Deschamps’ men will seek a different outcome this time.
This is a section that also includes a Norway team featuring the 16-goal leading scorer in European qualifying, Erling Haaland, and an Iraq side back on the World Cup finals stage after 40 years.
Group I fixtures
France
How did France qualify?
Unbeaten France advanced to their eighth consecutive World Cup finals from UEFA qualifying Group F, becoming the second European side to secure their ticket with a 4-0 home win over second-placed Ukraine on 13 November.
Senegal
How did Senegal qualify?
Unbeaten in qualifying, Pape Thiaw’s men progressed by securing first place in Group B of the African preliminaries, beating Mauritania 4-0 in their final fixture on 14 October to earn top spot ahead of Congo DR. The two-point gap between the sides was the result of a 3-2 Senegal triumph in Congo the previous month.
Iraq
How did Iraq qualify?
After missing out on direct qualifying by a single point in the third round of AFC qualifying, Iraq then fell short on goal difference in the fourth round, after a 0-0 draw with first-placed Saudi Arabia and A 1-0 win over Indonesia. They eventually secured their return to the global stage for the first time in 40 years with a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in the final of the FIFA Play-Off Tournament in Monterrey, winning through goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein.
Norway
*At the 1938 finals, all 16 sides started in the Round of 16.
How did Norway qualify?
Norway were one of just four teams to qualify for North America with a perfect record – in their case with eight wins from eight in Group I of European qualifying. Europe’s 37-goal top scorers, they earned the joint-highest win of the preliminaries, beating Moldova 11-1, and signed off in style with a 4-1 success against Italy at San Siro.
Group I standings
Group I facts and statistics
Round of 32 potential meetings
The Group I winners will face a third-placed team from either Group C, D, F, G or H in New York and the runners-up will take on the Group E runners-up in Dallas. Should third place be enough to progress from Group I, then there are six potential matches against the winners of groups A, B, D, G, K or L.
