This Monday, the French national team will play Iceland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at 8:45 p.m. at Laugardalsvöllur. Ahead of the match, Le Parisien and L’Equipe attempted to predict the team that coach Didier Deschamps will field. This match will involve two Paris Saint-Germain players, both French: Lucas Chevalier (23-year-old goalkeeper) and Lucas Hernandez (29-year-old defender). Neither will be starting.
Le Parisien (4-2-3-1) –
Mateta
Nkunku – Olise – Akliouche
Rabiot – Koné
Digne – Upamecano – Saliba – Koundé
Maignan.
L’Equipe (4-2-3-1) –
Mateta
Nkunku – Thauvin – Olise
Camavinga – Koné
Digne – Upamecano – Saliba – Koundé
Maignan.
These are all entirely possible lineups, although there’s never complete certainty. However, the press is more specific with coach Didier Deschamps than with Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique. We expect a bit of rotation here compared to the 3-0 win against Azerbaijan on Friday, as there was very little rest. There are also injuries, with Kylian Mbappé and Dayot Upamecano out.
There are, of course, still some good options to have a very competitive team. We could well see Lucas Hernandez, even though he hasn’t played three days ago. Up front, we’re curious to see the exact setup without Mbappé. Jean-Philippe Mateta could make his first start with a chance to seize. Florian Thauvin could also take advantage of the absences to score points. Although this is not yet certain, a strong team performance will be required to win this trip.
