11 June – 19 July 2026
Group I
Portugal · Ecuador · Nigeria · DR Congo
- Apps
- 9
- Best
- Third place (1966)
- Key player
- C. Ronaldo
- Apps
- 5
- Best
- Round of 16 (2006)
- Key player
- M. Caicedo
- Apps
- 7
- Best
- Round of 16 (1994, 1998, 2014)
- Key player
- V. Osimhen
- Apps
- 2
- Best
- Group stage (1974)
- Key player
- C. Bakambu
Group fixtures
What decides this group
Group I brings together Portugal, Ecuador, Nigeria and DR Congo. The six matches are played across 6 venues — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida; Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts; Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — starting with Portugal against Ecuador on 14 June 2026 and finishing with Ecuador against Nigeria on 24 June 2026.
With 48 teams in the 2026 format, the group stage decides which sides go straight through and which drop into the round of 32. Goal difference has settled more groups than any other tiebreaker in World Cup history, so the order of these six fixtures matters: the team that plays last knows exactly what it needs. Group I finishes on 24 June, which means the final matchday is played with the table already half-formed.
Common questions
Which teams are in World Cup 2026 Group I?
Portugal, Ecuador, Nigeria, DR Congo.
When does Group I finish?
The final two matches are scheduled for 24 June 2026.