Didier Deschamps is eagerly anticipating a thrilling encounter between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup. France and Norway have been drawn into Group I, setting the stage for this exciting matchup. The group also includes Senegal, with either Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname joining after the intercontinental play-offs in March.
The clash between Mbappe and Haaland is generating significant buzz. Both players have started the 2025-26 season impressively with Real Madrid and Manchester City. In Europe's top five leagues, Mbappe shares the top scorer title with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, both netting 25 goals. Haaland trails by five goals but led UEFA qualifying with 16 goals in eight matches for Norway.
Deschamps is particularly
excited about France's match against Norway on June 26. "It will be a great duel," he told reporters. "Both teams have lots of other big names, but, of course, Kylian and Haaland are two players recognised around the world. They will be two of the contenders to be the top scorer. "
France's opening game against Senegal on June 16 brings back memories of their 2002 World Cup clash when they lost 1-0 due to Papa Bouba Diop's goal. Pape Thiaw's Senegal topped Group B in CAF qualifying, making them formidable opponents. Deschamps acknowledges the difficulty of their group, stating it's one of the toughest.
"It's one of the toughest groups, if not the toughest," Deschamps added. "They're [Senegal] a competitive national team. And I won't say anything different about Norway after their qualifying campaign. They're one of the very best European teams. "
World Cup Predictions and Expectations
The Opta supercomputer ranks France as having a 14% chance of winning the World Cup, second only to Spain at 17%. England follows closely with an 11.8% chance. If France tops their group, they will face one of the best third-placed teams in the round of 32, potentially meeting Germany in the last 16.
π³π ππππππ πππ ππππΓ© pour nos Bleus ! La route pour la Coupe du monde 2026 commencera par le SΓ©nΓ©gal, la NorvΓ¨ge et le vainqueur des barrages entre la Bolivie, le Suriname et l'Irakpic.twitter.com/4WpAJ8CMlz
- Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) December 5, 2025
Deschamps remains cautious about future matches beyond their group stage. "Of course, as France we have a status and there is a lot of expectation around us," he said. "But we need to show respect and humility from the beginning. " He emphasised that ambition must be balanced with humility as they aim for success.
France aims to perform well from the start before considering later stages in the tournament. Deschamps stresses that each step requires effort and focus before thinking about potential future challenges.
