France take on the visitors Iceland in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Tuesday, September 9th at Parc des Princes (Paris).
France were at their best under Didier on the World Cup stage — winning the title in 2018 and then playing out an incredible final with Argentina in Qatar, losing only on penalties. They have been less convincing at the Euros, though even there, despite criticism over style and patchy performances, they reached last summer’s semifinals, falling 1-2 to Spain. In the Nations League they finished third, losing to “La Furia Roja” in June before bouncing back to beat Germany in the consolation final — and that victory came on German soil. Now Deschamps is in his farewell run, having already announced he will step down after the tournament. Against Ukraine in their opening qualifier, they secured a straightforward 2-0 win, though there was a short spell where Zabarnyi and his teammates nearly equalized. France’s consistency at the back remains their greatest asset, as they have conceded just twice in their last six competitive games. However, their attack has at times relied heavily on Mbappé’s brilliance, with others struggling to step up when he is tightly marked.
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Iceland have never managed to repeat their first and only big success. The “Ice Boys” made a fantastic debut at the Euros, but results have declined ever since. They did qualify for the following World Cup, though they left little impression there. They still had chances to feature at last year’s tournament, eliminating Israel in the first playoff round, but then went out meekly to Ukraine. Afterwards, a third-place finish in their Nations League group pushed them into further playoffs, where in March they lost both legs to Kosovo, 1-2 and 1-3. Even in friendlies their form has been mixed — beating Scotland in one game, then losing to Northern Ireland in another. They began this qualifying campaign at home against Azerbaijan and fully justified their favorites’ tag, cruising to a 5-0 win. Iceland’s strength lies in their direct play and physicality, which often troubles smaller sides. But against top-tier opponents they have struggled badly, losing seven of their last nine matches against teams ranked inside the FIFA top 25.
In over a dozen encounters, France have never lost to this opponent. They have won five of the last six. Mbappé and company are clearly stronger. But with their pragmatic approach, it makes sense to back the visitors with a “+2.5 goals” handicap.
Prediction for the match: Iceland to win with +2.5 handicap.
