The Matchday 6 World Cup 2026 qualifier between France and Iceland will take place on September 9 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. France vs. Iceland: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
France
The French team confidently started their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign by defeating their main competitor for the top spot in Group D. They visited Ukraine and secured a 2-0 victory. This marked their fourth consecutive win in World Cup qualifiers, with each victory achieved by at least a two-goal margin and a clean sheet.
- France's unbeaten streak in this tournament has extended to 13 matches – 9 wins and 4 draws.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 8 of France's last 9 World Cup qualifying games.
- At home in European qualifiers, France has won 8 of their last 11 matches (with 3 draws).
Predicted lineup for France (4-2-3-1)
Mike Maignan – Lucas Digne, Jules Kounde, Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano – Manu Kone, Aurelien Tchouameni – Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Desire Doue – Kylian Mbappe.
Midfielder Desire Doue and forward Ousmane Dembele will miss the game due to injuries. Forward Kingsley Coman has been called up to the squad.
Iceland
Under the guidance of Arnar Gunnlaugsson, Iceland unexpectedly found themselves at the top of the group after the first few matches. Playing at home, the Icelanders convincingly defeated Azerbaijan 5-0. Prior to this, the team had a run of 3 defeats at the official level (in the Nations League). It's also worth noting that Iceland has avoided defeat in 4 of their last 5 World Cup qualifying matches (2 wins and 2 draws).
- At least 3 goals have been scored in 5 of Iceland's last 7 World Cup qualifying games.
- Away in this tournament, Iceland has only 3 wins in their last 13 matches (4 draws and 6 losses).
- The team has not conceded more than two goals in 10 of their last 12 away World Cup qualifying matches.
Predicted lineup for Iceland (4-3-3)
Elias Rafn Olafsson – Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Victor Palsson, Mikael Ellertsson, Daníel Leó Grétarsson – Stefaun Thordarson, Isak Johannesson, Hakon Haraldsson – Albert Gudmundsson, Jon Thorsteinsson, Andri Gudjohnsen.
Referee
Antonio Nobre (Portugal)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 37;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 45%.
France vs. Iceland: Match Prediction
The teams have met three times at the official level in the last 10 years, with France winning all encounters, twice by a large margin. However, I believe that this time Iceland can avoid a heavy defeat, as they currently have a decent squad capable of challenging the group favorites, even for the top spot.
In their last 16 away World Cup qualifiers, Iceland has suffered only one heavy defeat – against Germany. Meanwhile, France has not won by 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 home matches in this tournament. Therefore, I recommend betting on Iceland with a handicap of two goals.
My prediction – Iceland with a handicap (+2.5)
* The lineup for each team reflects their starting lineup in their last match in this tournament.
