It’s Haaland vs. Mbappe.
It’s Group I time with France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.
France
The manager
Didier Deschamps. I can hardly remember a time when he wasn’t France manager. This is his last tournament in charge so he’ll want to go out with a flourish and should he go all the way again, it’ll be a third consecutive World Cup final, something not done since Brazil in 1984, 1998, and 2002.
Last World Cup
2022. That World Cup final featuring a hat-trick from Mbappe and That Chance from Randal Kolo Muani. Sadly they couldn’t beat Argentina on penalties and had to settle for silver medals in Qatar.
Who’s getting the goals
Mbappe, who else? Okay, it won’t just be him even if he’s likely to get the most of any player (and he has his eyes set on the all-time record held by Miroslav Klose). Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, honestly the possibilities are endless as long as the finishing is good.
If they were a video game, they would be…
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Critically acclaimed, Gallic as hell, it gets the people going!
Senegal
The manager
Pape Thiaw. He was there when Senegal beat France at the 2002 World Cup and now he’ll have a second bite of the cherry as coach. He claims that the controversy of the AFCON final in which they won (except they didn’t? Maybe?) is behind them but his actions still leave a sour taste in people’s mouths.
Last World Cup
2022. They reached the round of 16, losing to England 3–0.
Who’s getting the goals
Sadio Mané is still their talisman and will be front and center for the Lions. Ismaïla Sarr will be expected to perform too. Ibrahim Mbaye is only 18 but he has 4 goals in 12 for his nation so who knows what he could bring to the World Cup.
If they were a video game, they would be…
Grand Theft Auto. Successful and popular but not far from controversies lately (okay, GTA has never been far from them since the beginning but you get what I mean).
Iraq
The manager
Graham Arnold. The former Australia coach joined Iraq in 2025 hoping to bring his A-League presence to the Middle East. It took a 2–1 victory against Bolivia in the play-offs to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
Last World Cup
1986, like I just said! They finished bottom of their group but scored against Belgium which was nice for them.
Who’s getting the goals
Aymen Hussein and Mohanad Ali are the most likely. They have 60 international goals between them so if opportunities come knocking, they’ll both try to answer the door. Ipswich’s Ali Al-Hamadi is one to watch out for too.
If they were a video game, they would be…
Blue Prince. Luck and patience are required to make it out of a situation that works against them.
Norway
The manager
Ståle Solbakken. He’s been with Norway since 2020 and it took a lot of hard patient work to get them back into the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. His son also plays football and he gave him his only cap in 2023.
Last World Cup
1998. It was quite a campaign, with a famous win against Brazil in the groups. They qualified for the round of 16 but lost to Italy 1–0.
Who’s getting the goals
Erling Haaland obviously. He scores goals for fun no matter who he plays for given that he has 55 goals in 50 caps. If anyone else can get a goal in edgeways, it might be Alexander Sørloth, Jørgen Strand Larsen, or Thelo Aasgaard.
If they were a video game, they would be…
Ice Climber. Known better for their association with ice, it’s all about making steady progression to stay on top and it seems to be working for them