France and Norway have officially qualified for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup before even playing their final group stage matches.
The French team secured their spot with a dominant 3-0 victory over Iraq. Meanwhile, Norway pulled off a massive upset by defeating Senegal 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.
With these results, France and Norway are tied at the top of the group standings with 6 points each. Their upcoming head-to-head clash in the third round will be decisive in determining the group winner.
The Race for Top Spot: Avoiding England in the Quarter-Finals
Didier Deschamps’ men are highly motivated to clinch first place. Winning the group ensures a theoretically easier matchup in the Round of 32 and Round of 16, while crucially steering Les Bleus away from a potential quarter-final showdown against England.
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Group Winner: Will face one of the best third-placed teams from Groups C, D, F, G, or H.
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Group Runner-up: Faces a much tougher path, taking on the runner-up of Group E, which currently looks to be Ivory Coast.
The Ivorians have put on impressive performances so far in the tournament, securing a 1-0 win over Ecuador before a narrow 2-1 defeat against Germany. Notably, the African powerhouse had also defeated France in a friendly match just before the World Cup.
Qualified Teams So Far
Alongside France and Norway, heavyweights such as Mexico, the USA, and Germany have also officially booked their places in the Round of 32 as group leaders.
