Unexpected Consequences for France Following the Match Against Iceland

As FIFA has confirmed the procedures and groups for the 2026 World Cup draw, a notable detail has caught the attention of observers: France, ranked third in the world at the end of this year, will avoid facing England until a potential final, provided both teams finish top of their groups. However, the French team could have aimed for an even better position. According to Footem.in, a victory in Iceland last October would have allowed them to surpass Spain and Argentina in the FIFA rankings, securing the top spot before the draw on December 5. Winning that match would have given Didier Deschamps’ team a total of 1882.30 points, enough to claim the leading position in international football.

In short, the draw against Iceland (2-2), following a lackluster performance, keeps them at third place with 1870 points. This scenario brings some regrets, particularly since France had responded well after Iceland’s opening goal, with contributions from Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta, only to concede an equalizer due to a costly positional error by Jules Koundé. While this is not cause for alarm, it does leave a slight sense of missed opportunity, knowing that a more controlled match could have changed France’s theoretical path in the World Cup.