Group I and Group J finished their second round of fixtures on Monday night, and the picture in both is starting to harden. France look the part of a defending champion again. Argentina, with Lautaro Martínez carrying the front line, are quietly doing exactly what they need to. And the two sides everyone wrote off after matchday one — Senegal and Norway — have rebooted their tournaments. Here is what happened on June 22 and where the tables stand.
France 3–0 Iraq: Mbappé, Camavinga, then daylight
Iraq came into Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a deep block and a plan to frustrate. It worked for about twenty-seven minutes. Kylian Mbappé cut inside off the left, dragged a defender with him, and slid the first goal past the goalkeeper from the angle of the six-yard box. From there it was a question of when, not whether. Eduardo Camavinga drilled in a second from the top of the area just before halftime, and Bradley Barcola — Didier Deschamps's preferred bench-shifter since the squad reshuffle — added a clinical third with twelve minutes left.
France have now scored seven goals across two games and conceded none. The midfield rotation around Tchouaméni and Camavinga is doing exactly what 2022 did not: protecting the back four while giving the forwards numbers in transition. Six points from six, top of Group I, and a Round of 32 spot secured with a matchday to spare.
Argentina 2–0 Austria: Lautaro twice, comfortable in the end
Argentina without Lionel Messi is a different team — less choreographed, more reliant on second balls — but the result was the same as it has been all spring. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring on the half-hour with a near-post header from a Nicolás González cross, then doubled it from the spot midway through the second half after Rodrigo De Paul was tripped on a counter.
Austria, the matchday-one surprise package after beating Jordan, were well-organised but never threatened Emiliano Martínez. Manager Lionel Scaloni made five changes from the opener and rested two starters entirely. Argentina join France in the "through with a game to spare" club. The remaining question for them is finishing top of Group J to set up a kinder draw.
Senegal 1–0 Norway: Sarr finally finds the net
Senegal's tournament was on the brink. They lost their opener to France and watched Norway scrape past Iraq, leaving them needing three points or going home. Ismaïla Sarr provided them. After seventy-three minutes of probing without reward, Sarr collected a loose ball thirty yards out and curled it into the top corner. It was the kind of goal Senegal have been threatening for years from their Premier League cluster of attackers, and it could not have arrived in a more important game.
The result throws Group I wide open behind France. Senegal sit on three points, Norway on one, Iraq on zero. Matchday three pairs Senegal with Iraq and Norway with France — meaning Norway need a favour and a win, while Senegal control their own destiny.
Algeria 1–1 Jordan: a point each, neither happy
The earlier kick-off in Group J ended with the result both teams probably feared. Algeria, the higher-ranked side and tournament debutants since 2014, took the lead through a Riyad Mahrez free-kick on the stroke of halftime. Jordan equalised after the break through a deflected shot from Mousa Tamari that wrong-footed the goalkeeper. A draw leaves Algeria on one point and Jordan on two — both still alive, both needing a win on matchday three.
Group I and J standings after matchday two
Group I:
- France 6 pts (through to Round of 32)
- Senegal 3 pts
- Norway 1 pt
- Iraq 0 pts (eliminated if they lose to Senegal)
Group J:
- Argentina 6 pts (through to Round of 32)
- Austria 3 pts
- Jordan 2 pts
- Algeria 1 pt
Three takeaways from the night
1. France's midfield has solved its biggest 2022 problem. Tchouaméni and Camavinga ahead of a settled back four is giving Mbappé a platform he did not have in Qatar. The 2026 vintage looks calmer in possession and more vicious in transition.
2. Argentina are coping with the post-Messi era better than anyone expected. Scaloni's system was always more collectivist than the narrative suggested, and Lautaro's run of form since April is no accident.
3. Group I's last day is must-watch. Senegal v Iraq and Norway v France kick off simultaneously on Friday, and Norway still have a real route through if they can pull off the upset of the tournament so far.
FAQ
Are France and Argentina definitely in the Round of 32? Yes. Both have six points and cannot finish outside the top two of their group regardless of matchday-three results.
Can Norway still advance? Mathematically, yes. They would need to beat France (no team has scored against France yet) and for Senegal to lose to Iraq. Realistic? No. Possible? Just.
When do the next group games play? Group I and J matchday three fixtures play on Friday, June 26. Until then it is Group K and Group L taking centre stage. See the live soccer fixtures for kick-off times, or head to the Scorelisto blog for every matchday preview and recap.