Overview
Iceland opened their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 5-0 win over Azerbaijan, but then they lost 1-2 to France last month. Next was a 3-5 home defeat to Ukraine.
The defeat to Ukraine was a significant step back, but Iceland are still getting closer to the play-off round. They are currently third in the rankings, just one point behind the second-placed team.
Iceland impressed when they qualified for the 2018 World Cup, despite being eliminated from the group stage. However, they will not participate in the tournament in 2022.
Coach Arnar Gunnlaugsson's team will travel to Azerbaijan before hosting Ukraine in the last 2 matches of the qualifying round. Therefore, any score won against France will be considered a valuable reward for them.
Iceland are aiming for a historic milestone in this clash, having never beaten France in the past. They have lost 12 and drawn four of their 16 meetings with Les Bleus since 2007.
France have won all three of their most recent matches against Iceland, including the first leg last month with a score of 2-1, when Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola both scored.
However, in this rematch, both Mbappe and Barcola were unable to play, forcing coach Didier Deschamps to find a way to win despite missing a number of important pillars.
Les Bleus entered this match after a 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan, with goals from Mbappe, Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin. That result helped them win all 9 points after 3 matches, continuing to lead Group D.
France is considered the number 1 candidate for the top spot, and is also one of the brightest teams for the 2026 World Cup championship, considering the current strength and depth of the squad.
The brocade team has won the world championship twice, in 1998 and 2018. They also won the runner-up position in 2022 after a thrilling final against Argentina, where France lost on penalties.
Personnel situation
Iceland will not have the service of Andri Gudjohnsen in the match against France due to suspension. This is a big loss considering that this striker has scored 10 goals in 36 appearances for the national team.
Therefore, Daniel Gudjohnsen will likely be given the opportunity to start in attack. Arnar Gunnlaugsson is unlikely to make any changes to his squad for this match, with Victor Palsson and Albert Gudmundsson continuing to start from the start.
On the other side of the front line, France will be without Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate, as both have to return to Real Madrid and Liverpool for injury treatment.
Mbappe has an ankle problem, while Konate has a thigh injury, making it impossible for both of them to feature in this match. In addition, France are still missing a series of other players such as Barcola, Marcus Thuram, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele.
Aurelien Tchouameni is also suspended, meaning Adrien Rabiot will continue to take on the role in midfield. Meanwhile, Jean- Philippe Mateta is likely to make his first debut for the national team as a striker.
Expected lineup:
Iceland: Olafsson, Palsson, Ingason, Gretarsson, Ellertsson, Gudmundsson, Johannesson, Haraldsson, Magnusson, D. Gudjohnsen, thorsteinsson.
France: Maignan, Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, T. Hernandez, K. Thuram, Rabiot, Coman, Olise, Ekitike, Mateta.
The match between Iceland and France takes place at 1:45 am on October 14 (Vietnam time).
