Iceland vs France Prediction for 14 October 2025 - Football

🔊 Can Iceland put up a fight against France? In the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Iceland will face off against France in Reykjavik. The hosts will aim to challenge the Group D leaders, but their chances seem slim. Despite putting up a commendable performance in Paris last month and losing by just a narrow margin, the odds are stacked against them. France are riding a confident three-match winning streak and firmly lead the group, living up to their status as favorites. In our prediction, we'll analyze the teams' previous results and their prospects at the Laugardalsvöllur Stadium.

Head-to-Head

📊 On September 9, 2025, the French national team faced Iceland in the opening round of World Cup qualifiers for North America. The match concluded with a hard-fought 2-1 victory for the hosts. Andri Gudjohnsen put the visitors ahead, but Kylian Mbappé leveled the score by the end of the first half. In the second half, following an assist from Mbappé, Bradley Barcola scored the winning goal.

Iceland Team Overview

🔵 After a commanding 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan, Iceland suffered two defeats: a 0-1 loss to France in Paris and a 3-5 home defeat against Ukraine. Against Ukraine, the "Vikings" were trailing 1-3 but managed to equalize by the 75th minute, only to concede two more goals towards the end. Mikael Ellertsson and Albert Gudmundsson, who scored twice, found the net for the hosts. Iceland currently sit third with 3 points, but have shown in their previous matches that they are no pushovers. To continue their fight for second place, they need to beat France, a daunting task considering the visitors' personnel issues.

France Team Overview

🔵 The French side comfortably defeated Azerbaijan at the Parc des Princes with a 3-0 victory. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a solo run, slicing through the defense and slotting the ball into the far bottom corner. In the second half, Mbappe set up Adrien Rabiot, who headed in the second goal. Florian Thauvin, making a return to the national team, netted the third with an assist from Theo Hernandez. This commanding win solidifies France's lead in the group: three matches, three wins. They hold a five-point advantage over Ukraine, who sit in second place. However, the challenge in Reykjavik won't be easy; in the first leg, Les Bleus had to work hard to turn the game around against Iceland, who are still vying for that second spot.

Latest news

Iceland

💊 All of Iceland's declared players are ready for the match.

France

🎙 Didier Deschamps after the match against Azerbaijan: "We achieved the desired result, but not in the way we wanted. The situation improved somewhat in the second half. Against such a compact defense, we had to move the ball around too long; it lacked speed and verticality. It was quite tough. I'm not going to jump for joy: we won, but it was expected. We always learn lessons, both collectively and individually, even if they differ depending on the opponent. This is part of our qualification journey; it's another three points. Even if we didn't play as we should have, we managed. It's also an opportunity to see new players, so there's something to learn."

❌ Kylian Mbappé, who suffered a right ankle injury on Friday night during the match against Azerbaijan, will not travel to Reykjavik. The injury is not considered serious, and he is expected to be ready for the next game with Madrid's Real. Ibrahima Konaté has been released back to Liverpool, and Benjamin Pavard (Marseille) has been called up to the squad in his place. Konaté is undergoing treatment and an adapted protocol but will not be able to play in Reykjavik.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Orel Grinfeld, who averages 4.8 bookings per game. In the first leg in Paris, France edged out Iceland in yellow cards with a 3-2 advantage. We recommend betting on Iceland's individual total under 2.5 yellow cards, as supported by their last three qualification matches.

⚽ Goal Prediction

France may not be showcasing high-scoring performances, but they consistently secure victories. Given their lineup challenges, we refrain from picking an individual total for the visitors. However, we back the overall total over 2.5 goals, since Iceland have found the net in all three matches, including the clash in Paris. We anticipate goals from Iceland and plenty of scoring opportunities for the visitors.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Iceland have earned 9 corners over three matches (3 against Azerbaijan, 2 against France, 4 against Ukraine). France have won 17 corners (4 against Ukraine, 3 against Iceland, 10 against Azerbaijan). Our pick: Iceland's individual total over 1.5 corners, a bet that has paid off in 25 of the team's last 26 matches.

Key injuries for France: Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki. However, the depth of Les Bleus' squad suggests they can still aim for victory. Alternatives like Michael Olise, Hugo Ekitike, and Kingsley Coman are more than capable of stepping up in place of the leaders. Iceland will undoubtedly put up a fight, as they did in Paris, but the skill level of the French side surpasses that of the hosts. Our prediction: France to win with a handicap (-1.5). Likely scoreline – 3-1.