Post by : Rameen Ariff

France’s flawless start to their World Cup qualifying campaign came to an end as they were held to a 2-2 draw away to Iceland in a thrilling Group D clash on Monday.

Victor Palsson gave Iceland the lead, but Christopher Nkunku equalised for France before Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his first goal for Les Bleus to put them 2-1 ahead on his second international appearance. However, Kristian Hlynsson struck a late equaliser to secure a point for Iceland.

Despite the draw, France remain top of Group D with 10 points from four games, three points clear of Ukraine, who defeated Azerbaijan 2-1 on the same day. The French team will face Ukraine in Paris on November 13 in a potentially decisive qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

France coach Didier Deschamps expressed frustration over conceding the second goal. “Iceland had two shots on target and scored twice, but we didn’t do enough in the first half. We then did what we had to, but it’s frustrating to concede the second goal,” he said.

The French side played without key players like Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola due to injuries. They created several chances, including Nkunku’s powerful volley which was brilliantly saved by Iceland goalkeeper Elias Olafsson.

After going behind early in the match, France improved after the break. Nkunku equalised in the 63rd minute, followed by Mateta’s goal five minutes later. Despite France’s dominance, Iceland responded quickly on a counter-attack, with Hlynsson scoring in the 70th minute to deny Les Bleus a fourth consecutive win.

#Sports News