World Cup 2026: France, Argentina, and Norway begin campaigns on Tuesday

By Evelyn Mensah — 16 June 2026 — 3 min read

Tuesday’s World Cup action

The 2026 World Cup continues on Tuesday with a full schedule of matches in Group I and Group J. Among the teams taking the field are France, the 2022 finalists, who will open their campaign against Senegal in East Rutherford. Didier Deschamps‘ squad is aiming for a second title in three tournaments.

In another anticipated match, Norway will make their return to the World Cup stage, their first appearance since 1998. Led by Erling Haaland, Norway will face Iraq in Boston. Expectations are high for Norway, which also features Martin Ødegaard, though Iraq enters the tournament battle-tested after a lengthy qualifying run.

Reigning champions Argentina are also set to begin their title defense. Lionel Messi and his team will play against Algeria in Kansas City. Argentina seeks to avoid a repeat of their opening match in the 2022 tournament.

Additionally, Austria will meet Jordan in the late kickoff as Group J action commences.

Team preparations and concerns

France, considered a pre-tournament favorite, will face a challenging opponent in Senegal. Senegal, coached by Pape Thiaw, qualified for the World Cup without a loss and features players like Sadio Mané and Nicholas Jackson. Despite France‘s deep and talented squad, including players like Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté, Willian Saliba, Aurelien Tchouameni, N’Golo Kante, Adrien Rabiot, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé, there have been some concerns following a 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast in a tune-up match, though they later won 3-1 against Northern Ireland.

Norway comes into the tournament with a talented team, having won all eight of their games in UEFA World Cup qualifying, outscoring opponents 37-5. Erling Haaland was the top goalscorer in UEFA World Cup qualifying with 16 goals. The team also includes Martin Ødegaard and young players like Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb. However, a potential concern for Norway is their ability to handle the American summer heat.

Iraq, ranked 57th in the world, is considered an underdog in Group I. Under Australian head coach Graham Arnold, Iraq improved significantly to qualify for the tournament through a 2-1 intercontinental playoff win over Bolivia. Arnold believes the pressure is not on Iraq, but rather on their group opponents.

Argentina has maintained strong form since winning the 2022 World Cup, securing the 2024 Copa América title and finishing first in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Lionel Messi, who will be 39 on June 24, is participating in what is expected to be his final World Cup.

Other tournament developments

In other news from the World Cup, Hervé Renard has been hired as the new coach for Tunisia. This appointment comes after Tunisia‘s 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match, leading to the sacking of Sabri Lamouchi. Renard has previously managed Morocco (2018) and Saudi Arabia (2022) at men’s World Cups and was also in charge of the French national team at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

History was made during New Zealand‘s 1-1 draw with Iran on Monday night, as Tyler Bindon and his mother, Jenny Bindon, became the first mother-son pair to play in a World Cup. Jenny Bindon played 77 times as a goalkeeper for New Zealand‘s women’s national team and participated in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.

Meanwhile, Iran‘s team expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment in the U.S. after their 2-2 draw with New Zealand. Coach Amir Ghalenoei stated that the team was at a competitive disadvantage due to travel arrangements, being required to fly into Los Angeles on the eve of the match and immediately return to their base camp in Tijuana late Monday night.

Reports also indicate that FIFA may allow Donald Trump to present the World Cup trophy to the winning team on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.