The selection of France confirmed its dominance in Group I and secured its place in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup as the absolute leader, after adding nine points in the group stage.
The French team now hopes to meet its rival, who will come from the best third-placed teams, which include Paraguay, Sweden, Egypt, Iran, Belgium, Uruguay, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and even Spain.
The French team sealed its classification with a resounding 4-1 victory over Norway, in a match played this Friday. The great figure of the meeting was Ousmane Dembélé, recent Ballon d’Or winner, who scored a hat-trick to lead the French victory. Norway faced the commitment with an alternative team and without its star, Erling Haaland.
With this result, Norway finished in second position in the group and will face Ivory Coast in the round of 32, in a duel scheduled in Dallas for Tuesday, June 30, the same day France will play.
For its part, Senegal keeps its qualification hopes alive after achieving a key 5-0 victory against Iraq, a result that allowed it to gain three points.
The African team will have to wait for the outcome of the other groups to know if they advance as one of the eight best third parties towards the knockout phase. In contrast, Iraq was eliminated from the tournament after failing to achieve the results necessary to continue in the competition.
The panorama of the crossings remains open and will depend on the pending results, which adds uncertainty and expectation in the run-up to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.