World No.1
France
Manager: Didier Deschamps · FIFA rank: 1 · Route: UEFA Group D winners · Last World Cup: 2022 (runners-up) · Best result: Winners (1998, 2018)
Deschamps takes France to a fourth straight major tournament final hunt. Mbappé remains the focal point; Olise has emerged as the alternative star; Saliba and Konaté anchor the most-balanced defence in the tournament; Tchouaméni controls midfield. The squad depth in attack — Dembele, Olise, Cherki, Barcola, Thuram — is unmatched.
Key man: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) — still the most decisive forward in world football.
Betting angle: France 4-5/1 for outright (depending on book). Group winner is short to no-value. Mbappé to 2+ goals in every match is the heavily-backed player special.
France full squad
GK: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba.
DF: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano.
MF: N’Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery.
FW: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram.
European outsider
Norway
Manager: Stale Solbakken · FIFA rank: 31 · Route: UEFA Group I winners · Last World Cup: 1998 · Best result: Round of 16 (1998)
Norway’s first World Cup in 28 years — and the long wait is over because of two players: Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. Solbakken’s side qualified at a canter from a Premier League-heavy supporting cast (Ryerson, Berg, Pedersen, Bobb, Nusa, Strand Larsen). Haaland scored 16 in qualifying. The defence is the question mark, but the attack alone makes them dangerous to anyone.
Key man: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — the most-backed Golden Boot pick in the tournament.
Betting angle: Norway to qualify is the most-bet outsider play in the group. Haaland Golden Boot odds are among the shortest at the tournament.
Norway full squad
GK: Orjan Haskjold Nyland, Egil Selvik, Sander Tangvik.
DF: Julian Ryerson, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, David Moller Wolfe, Fredrik Bjorkan, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, Leo Skiri Ostigard, Sondre Langas, Henrik Falchener.
MF: Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes, Patrick Berg, Kristian Thorstvedt, Morten Thorsby, Thelo Aasgaard.
FW: Erling Haaland, Alexander Sorloth, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Antonio Nusa, Oscar Bobb, Andreas Schjelderup, Jens Petter Hauge.
African qualifier
Senegal
Manager: Pape Thiaw · FIFA rank: 14 · Route: CAF Group B winners · Last World Cup: 2022 · Best result: Quarter-finals (2002)
Senegal arrive ranked as the strongest African side at the tournament. Pape Thiaw took over post-Aliou Cissé and has kept the same defensive spine — Mendy in goal, Koulibaly still leading, Mendy and Diatta wide. Sadio Mané remains the captain; Pape Matar Sarr and Habib Diarra carry the midfield; Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr give the attack Premier League experience.
Key man: Sadio Mane (Al Nassr) — the talisman, still the X-factor.
Betting angle: Senegal to qualify is short but defensible. The realistic group ceiling is second — the value play if you fancy Norway to slip up.
Senegal full squad
GK: Edouard Mendy, Mory Diaw, Yehvann Diouf.
DF: Krepin Diatta, Antoine Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mamadou Sarr, Moussa Niakhate, Moustapha Mbow, Abdoulaye Seck, Ismail Jakobs, Ilay Camara.
MF: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye, Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra, Pathe Ciss, Pape Matar Sarr, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye.
FW: Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Assane Diao, Ibrahim Mbaye, Nicolas Jackson, Bamba Dieng, Cherif Ndiaye.
First World Cup since 1986
Iraq
Manager: Graham Arnold · FIFA rank: 57 · Route: Inter-confederation play-off winners · Last World Cup: 1986 · Best result: Group stage (1986)
Iraq’s first World Cup in 40 years — and the storyline is Graham Arnold, the former Australia coach, who took the role in 2024 and guided them through the inter-confederation play-off. Ali Al-Hamadi at Ipswich and Zidane Iqbal at Utrecht are the most-recognisable Premier League-pedigree names; the squad is otherwise built around the Iraqi Premier League. Defensively organised; offensively limited.
Key man: Ali Al-Hamadi (Ipswich) — the most-backed Iraqi goalscorer name.
Betting angle: Under 2.5 goals in every Iraq match is sensible. Qualification is for sentimental backers only at this depth of field.
Iraq full squad
GK: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Basil.
DF: Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Mustafa Saadoon, Ahmed Hassan Makenzie, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashim, Merchas Doski, Zaid Ismail, Frans Putros.
MF: Amir Al-Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasem, Youssef Amyn, Marko Farji.
FW: Ali Jassim, Ali Al-Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali.
