France is trailing Iceland 1-0 during the first half of their match held this Monday evening in the fourth round of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The only goal of the first half was scored by Iceland’s player Viktor Pálsson in the 39th minute, marking one of the surprises of the European qualifying round.

The French team continues its strong performance in the World Cup qualifiers, leading their group with nine points from three matches, maintaining a perfect record since the start.

Iceland currently sits third in the group, one point behind second-placed Ukraine, which is still competing strongly for a playoff spot.

France enters the next round with high morale after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Azerbaijan, with goals from Kylian Mbappé, Adrien Rabiot, and Florian Thauvin, reaffirming their technical and mental readiness.

Despite many absences due to injuries, head coach Didier Deschamps expressed confidence in the current squad, emphasizing the team’s depth and quality to continue their excellent performance and achieve a perfect record.

The French team is considered the strongest candidate to top their group and is widely viewed as one of the main contenders to win the upcoming World Cup, given the quality of its players and extensive experience in major tournaments.

It is worth noting that the “Les Bleus” have a proud history in the tournament, having won the title twice in 1998 and 2018, and finishing as runners-up in 2022 after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the final.