This Monday, the French national team will play Iceland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at 8:45 p.m. at Laugardalsvöllur. This match involved two Paris Saint-Germain players, both French: Lucas Chevalier (23-year-old goalkeeper) and Lucas Hernandez (29-year-old defender). RMC Sport confirms the trend with the first start for Jean-Philippe Mateta (28, Crystal Palace). While our Parisians are not expected to start.
Mateta
Nkunku – Olise – Akliouche
Rabiot – Koné
Digne – Upamecano – Saliba – Koundé
Maignan.
As for Mateta, this seems rather logical given the numerous absences and players, like Hugo Ekitike (23, Liverpool), who need to be rested after playing on Friday. He wasn’t called up randomly; he’s in good shape and has a place to be, thanks to his profile, which is different from other attacking players. His physical strength and 1.93m height could also be very useful against an Iceland team that’s always difficult to break.
As for the rest of the squad, there are no particular surprises, although some uncertainties remain. Some are suggesting the possibility of starting Florian Thauvin (32, Lens) at number 10, or Edouardo Camavinga (22, Real Madrid) in place of Adrien Rabiot (30, AC Milan). Seeing Hernandez start on the left or in the middle doesn’t seem out of the question, but no media outlet has suggested this option yet.
