France drew 2-2 with Iceland in World Cup European qualifiers
France, missing Kylian Mbappe, missed a chance to qualify for World Cup
Ukraine won 2-1 against Azerbaijan, complicating France's qualification
France failed to secure a spot at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a 2-2 draw with Iceland in a European qualifying fixture at Laugardalsvollur on Monday, October 13.
The result in Reykjavik ended France's perfect run in the qualifiers and means they will postpone confirming their participation in the expanded FIFA tournament, particularly without Kylian Mbappe on the pitch.
France's World Cup Qualification Setback
France's 2-2 draw against Iceland ended their perfect start in European qualifying following three straight victories. The two-time world champions could have secured qualification, but they needed to beat Iceland and for Ukraine not to defeat Azerbaijan. However, Ukraine secured a 2-1 victory in their match.
France, the 2022 World Cup runners-up, currently lead Group D with 10 points, three more than Ukraine. Kylian Mbappe, France's captain, was absent from the match. He had scored in their 3-0 win over Azerbaijan on Friday, but then limped off the field with a right ankle injury.
Iceland took an initial lead against France when Victor Palsson scored in the 39th minute. France then rallied to score two goals, with Christopher Nkunku finding the net in the 63rd minute and Jean-Philippe Mateta adding another in the 68th minute. Iceland equalised shortly after, as Kristian Hlynsson scored a couple of minutes later.
Coach Didier Deschamps expressed frustration after the match, noting that France "totally controlled the game" but allowed Iceland to score twice from limited opportunities. Iceland remain on four points after four matches, placing them three points ahead of Azerbaijan.
More European Qualifier Results
Elsewhere, Switzerland also aimed for a World Cup spot but managed only a 0-0 draw against Slovenia. Switzerland's qualification required a win against Slovenia, and for Kosovo to fail to defeat Sweden. Kosovo secured a 1-0 victory, taking them to seven points in Group B, three points behind Switzerland.
Slovenia currently hold three points, while Sweden, also winless like Slovenia, have one point. Liverpool's Alexander Isak missed three significant chances for Sweden against Kosovo.
Germany achieved a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Belfast, with Nick Woltemade scoring a first-half goal. This result keeps Germany level with Slovakia, both teams having nine points atop Group A. In other fixtures, Slovakia beat Luxembourg 2-0, and North Macedonia drew with Kazakhstan 1-1.
Belgium came from behind to defeat Wales 4-2, as Kevin de Bruyne scored a pair of goals for Belgium. The Red Devils now lead Group J with 14 points, one more than North Macedonia and three points ahead of Wales.
The Expanded FIFA World Cup 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features an expanded format and will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This is the first World Cup with 48 teams, an increase from the previous format, which involved 32 teams. Twelve group winners will qualify automatically, with the 12 runner-ups entering a playoff phase.
The four best-ranked group winners from the 2024-25 Nations League also join this phase. The 16 teams will be drawn into four playoff paths, with four teams in each path.
This process determines the four remaining European qualifiers. Playoff matches will occur in single-leg semi-finals, followed by single-leg finals. All matches will happen within the same international window in March 2026.
(With AP Inputs)
