A Scramble and a Procession: Groups D and I Reach the Line

The Short Version

June 26 closed Groups D and I, and they could hardly have looked more different. Group D was a scramble settled on the final whistle: the United States lost 2-3 to Türkiye and still finished top, while Australia edged Paraguay for second on goal difference and Türkiye won the night yet went home. Group I was the opposite — a procession. France beat Norway 4-1 to complete three wins from three and stroll through as winners, Norway took second, and Senegal thrashed Iraq 5-0 and were eliminated anyway. One group was decided by the narrowest margins, the other was barely a contest at all.

Two groups reached the finish line on the same night and told stories from opposite ends of the spectrum. One was chaos to the last kick, four teams separated by three points and a clutch of goal-difference sums. The other was settled long before kick-off, a side simply too good for its group confirming the obvious. June 26 had both, back to back.

How the final round fell across the two groups:

The United States survive the Group D pile-up

Group D was the tangle of the night. The United States arrived able to top the group and promptly lost 2-3 to Türkiye — and still finished first. Two earlier wins had banked enough that a final-night defeat could not dislodge them; they go through as group winners on six points despite the loss, a reminder that the table rewards the whole group, not the last game of it, as FIFA’s standings confirm.

Behind them, the math turned cruel. Australia and Paraguay both finished on four points after a goalless draw between them, but Australia’s level goal difference edged out Paraguay’s minus-two, sending the Socceroos through in second and Paraguay home. And then there was Türkiye: a 3-2 win over the United States, the best result of their tournament, delivered too late. They finished bottom of the group on three points, eliminated on the very night they beat the side that topped it.

Group D — final table

P = played, W/D/L = won/drawn/lost, GF/GA = goals for/against, GD = goal difference, Pts = points. The top two (in bold) advance to the round of 32.

France turn Group I into a formality

If Group D was a scramble, Group I was a march. France beat Norway 4-1 to make it three wins from three, ten goals scored and two conceded, the most emphatic group-stage record of the round. The result confirmed what the earlier matches had suggested and what our preview of the decider had framed: France only needed a point to top the group, and instead took all three with room to spare.

Norway, beaten on the night, still went through comfortably in second — their two earlier wins more than enough. The hard-luck story belonged to Senegal, who hammered Iraq 5-0 in the group’s other game and still went out. Three points from three matches was never going to be enough behind a side as ruthless as France and a Norway team that had banked its wins early. Iraq finished bottom without a point, twelve goals conceded.

Group I — final table

Senegal finished above no one on points but ahead of Norway on goal difference — and still went out, the clearest sign of how early Norway had banked its place.

Two more sides who won and went home

The night added two names to a familiar list. Türkiye and Senegal both won their final group games — Türkiye over the team that topped their group, Senegal by five clear goals — and both are out. It is the recurring lesson of this group stage: the final round is a reckoning, not a fresh start, and a single good night cannot undo two flat ones. The standings only ever add up the whole.

Who’s through, who’s out

Four more teams have their round-of-32 places: the United States and Australia from Group D, France and Norway from Group I. Türkiye, Paraguay, Senegal and Iraq are eliminated. France carry the night’s headline numbers — three wins, plus-eight, a forward line in full flow — while the United States carry the more curious one: group winners who lost their last game, as the day’s coverage noted. Two groups, two routes to the same destination, settled on a single night, with the bracket taking shape.

Frequently asked questions

Which teams played on June 26, 2026? In Group D, Türkiye beat the United States 3-2 and Paraguay drew 0-0 with Australia. In Group I, France beat Norway 4-1 and Senegal beat Iraq 5-0.

How did the United States top Group D after losing? The United States lost 2-3 to Türkiye on the final matchday but had already won their first two games. Six points was enough to finish first in Group D despite the defeat, because group placing is decided across all three games, not just the last.

How did Australia finish second in Group D? Australia and Paraguay both finished on four points after their 0-0 draw, but Australia’s goal difference (0) was better than Paraguay’s (-2), so Australia advanced in second and Paraguay were eliminated.

Why were Türkiye eliminated despite beating the USA? Türkiye’s 3-2 win over the United States came on the final matchday, but two earlier defeats left them bottom of Group D on three points. The win was not enough to climb out of last place.

How did France finish the group stage? France won all three matches — 3-1 over Senegal, 3-0 over Iraq and 4-1 over Norway — for nine points, ten goals scored and two conceded, topping Group I with a perfect record.

Why did Senegal go out after beating Iraq 5-0? Senegal’s 5-0 win came in the final round, but two earlier defeats left them third in Group I on three points, behind France and Norway. The big win improved their goal difference but not their position.

Which teams qualified from Groups D and I? The United States and Australia advanced from Group D; France and Norway advanced from Group I.

Which teams were eliminated on June 26? Türkiye and Paraguay went out of Group D, and Senegal and Iraq went out of Group I.