The Iceland team created a surprise when they held France to a 2-2 draw in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe, causing coach Didier Deschamps' team to miss the opportunity to travel early to the US, Canada and Mexico.
Without the service of Kylian Mbappe, while Ousmane Dembele is still absent due to injury, the French team, although considered superior, unexpectedly struggled in the archipelago.
Les Bleus were soon given a "cold water" in the 12th minute when Victor Palsson took advantage of a mistake to open the score for the home team. The early goal helped Iceland play confidently, while France appeared to be deadlocked in the attack stage.
It was not until the end of the first half that Christopher Nkunku was able to shine with a delicate finish, equalizing the score 1-1 for Les Bleus.
In the second half, France's pressure was concretized by a goal to increase the score to 2-1 by Jean- Philippe Mateta - his first goal for the national team.
It seemed that France had held 3 points, the tragedy came in the 87th minute when Kristian Hlynsson took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a 2-2 equalizer for Iceland, completely surprising the Les Bleus defense.
This draw not only ended France's winning streak in the qualifying round but also forced this team to wait at least one more match to officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Although still leading Group D with 10 points after 4 matches, France only has 3 points ahead of Ukraine - the team that just won 2-1 against Azerbaijan. The direct confrontation between France and Ukraine in November is considered the final match of the group, deciding the ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
