BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

France and Senegal will rekindle one of the most memorable rivalries in FIFA World Cup history when they meet in their Group I opener in New York, New Jersey, on Tuesday.

The clash brings back memories of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan when tournament debutants Senegal stunned defending champions France 1-0 in Seoul, producing one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

Twenty-four years later, both nations arrive as established forces in international football, with France seeking a third world title and Senegal aiming to make another deep run at the tournament.

France enter the competition as one of the favourites after an impressive qualifying campaign that saw Didier Deschamps’ side record five wins and one draw to finish six points clear at the top of their qualifying group.

Les Bleus are making their 17th World Cup appearance and their eighth consecutive participation, a run that reflects their consistency at the highest level. The French have reached the final in four of the last seven World Cups, winning the trophy in 1998 and 2018 while finishing runners-up in 2006 and 2022.

Their most recent campaign ended in heartbreak in Qatar, where they lost to Argentina on penalties after one of the most dramatic finals in tournament history.

France’s attack will again be spearheaded by captain Kylian Mbappe, who etched his name into World Cup folklore in 2022 by becoming only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. The French superstar finished that tournament with eight goals to claim the Golden Boot award.

Another milestone awaits coach Didier Deschamps, who will oversee France at the World Cup for the 20th time. Only six coaches in history have reached that landmark, placing the former France captain among the most experienced managers ever to grace the tournament.

While France boast one of the richest World Cup pedigrees, Senegal have developed into one of Africa’s most consistent performers on the global stage.

The Teranga Lions are appearing at their fourth World Cup and their third consecutive tournament. Their greatest achievement came during their unforgettable debut in 2002 when they reached the quarter-finals after defeating France in the opening match.

Senegal also advanced to the Round of 16 at Qatar 2022, reinforcing their status as one of Africa’s leading football nations.

Their group-stage record at the World Cup is particularly impressive. The West Africans have lost only two of their nine group matches, winning four and drawing three.

That resilience and tournament experience make them dangerous opponents for any team, including one of France’s quality.

The meeting promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the opening round, pitting European power against African ambition in a contest rich with history and significance.

For France, victory would be an ideal start to another title challenge. For Senegal, it offers an opportunity to create fresh memories against the same opponents they famously defeated in their first-ever World Cup match.

With both nations harbouring ambitions of progressing deep into the tournament, the result could have a significant impact on the shape of Group I and set the tone for their respective campaigns.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Defending champions Argentina will launch their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Algeria this Tuesday, seeking to avoid the opening-match pitfalls that have troubled reigning champions in the past and take a step towards a historic second consecutive world title.

La Albiceleste arrived in North America as one of the favourites after becoming the first South American nation to secure qualification for the tournament, sealing their place on March 25, 2025.

Coach Lionel Scaloni is aiming to guide Argentina to back-to-back World Cup triumphs, a feat achieved only twice before in football history by Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962). Success would also see Scaloni join Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo as the only coaches to win the tournament twice.

Argentina’s squad is again led by captain Lionel Messi, who continues to add to his remarkable World Cup legacy. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner set a new tournament record during the 2022 final when he made his 26th World Cup appearance, surpassing Germany legend Lothar Matthäus’ previous mark of 25 matches.

History favours the South Americans against the African opposition. Argentina have won their last six World Cup matches against African teams, a sequence that began after their shock 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the opening match of the 1990 tournament.

However, Argentina will be wary of repeating past mistakes. Their surprise 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening match at the 2022 World Cup ended a long run of successful tournament curtain-raisers and served as a reminder that reputations count for little on football’s biggest stage.

The reigning champions boast an impressive recent group-stage record, having lost only two of their last 16 World Cup group matches while recording 11 victories and three draws.

Standing in their way are an Algerian side determined to make their own mark on the competition.

The North Africans qualified impressively by topping Group G in the African qualifiers, collecting eight wins and a draw from ten matches. Forward Mohamed Amoura was instrumental in the campaign, finishing as the leading scorer across the entire African qualifying series with 10 goals.

Algeria’s finest World Cup performance came in Brazil in 2014 when they became the first Algerian team to reach the knockout rounds. They pushed eventual champions Germany to extra time before eventually losing 2-1 in a memorable round-of-16 encounter.

The Desert Foxes also hold a unique African World Cup record, remaining the only team from the continent to score four goals in a single World Cup match after their 4-2 victory over South Korea in 2014.

Tuesday’s encounter marks Algeria’s first World Cup meeting with South American opposition since their 1-0 loss to Brazil in 1986. Their only World Cup victory against a CONMEBOL nation came four years earlier when they defeated Chile 3-2 in Spain.

While Algeria have struggled for consistency at the World Cup, winning only one of their last 10 matches at the finals, they have shown before that they are capable of producing major upsets. Their famous 2-1 victory over West Germany on their tournament debut in 1982 remains one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history.

Argentina enter the match as favourites, but Algeria will hope to draw inspiration from both Cameroon and Saudi Arabia, whose opening-match victories over the South Americans proved that even football’s giants can stumble on the grandest stage.

With Messi seeking another chapter in his extraordinary World Cup career and Algeria aiming to spring a surprise, the Group J clash promises to be one of the most intriguing opening fixtures of the tournament.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Iraq will make a long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup when they take on Norway in their Group I opener, marking the Lions of Mesopotamia’s first appearance at football’s biggest tournament in four decades.

The Iraqis last featured at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, where they exited at the group stage despite producing competitive performances in all three matches. They lost narrowly to Paraguay, Belgium and hosts Mexico, with each defeat coming by a single goal.

Now, 40 years later, Iraq have earned another opportunity to test themselves against the world’s elite after dramatically securing qualification. They became the 48th and final nation to book a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the Play-Off Tournament.

Leading Iraq’s challenge is Australian coach Graham Arnold, who guided Australia to the Round of 16 at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and is hoping to write another chapter in his coaching career by steering Iraq beyond the group stage.

The match will also feature several interesting Norwegian connections within the Iraqi squad. Midfielder Marko Farji was born in Norway and played for Norwegian club Strømsgodset until earlier this year, while Aimar Sher currently plays for Sarpsborg in Norway. Defender Rebin Sulaka also spent time in Norwegian football with Elverum.

Standing in Iraq’s way is a Norwegian side that produced one of the most impressive qualification campaigns in Europe.

The Scandinavians finished six points ahead of Italy in their qualifying group, recording stunning victories over the four-time world champions both home and away. Norway beat Italy 3-0 on home soil before completing a remarkable double with a 4-1 victory in Italy.

They won all eight of their qualifying matches, a feat achieved by only one other European nation, England, while scoring an astonishing 37 goals to emerge as the continent’s most prolific attacking side.

At the centre of Norway’s resurgence is prolific striker Erling Haaland, who finished as the leading scorer across all confederations during World Cup qualifying with 16 goals. His haul included a remarkable five-goal performance in Norway’s 11-1 demolition of Moldova in September 2025.

Norway are appearing at the World Cup for the first time since France 1998, where they famously defeated Brazil 2-1 in the group stage before bowing out to Italy in the Round of 16.

Their World Cup history contains a curious statistic: all three of Norway’s defeats at the finals have come against Italy and all by a single-goal margin. They lost 2-1 after extra time in 1938, 1-0 in the group stage in 1994, and 1-0 again in the Round of 16 in 1998.

Coach Ståle Solbakken will also make history by becoming the first individual to represent Norway at the World Cup as both a player and a head coach, having been part of the Norwegian squad at France 1998.

While Norway enter the contest as favourites on the strength of their flawless qualifying campaign, Iraq will draw inspiration from their successful return to the global stage and the belief that their long absence has only increased their determination to make an impact.

The encounter will also mark Norway’s first-ever World Cup match against an Asian opponent, while Iraq will face European opposition at the tournament for only the second time, their previous meeting ending in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Belgium in 1986.

With Iraq eager to mark their World Cup return with a memorable result and Norway determined to continue the momentum generated by their impressive qualification run, the Group I clash promises to be an intriguing battle between two nations with very different World Cup histories but equally ambitious goals.

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