Overview
- France host Azerbaijan at the Parc des Princes on Friday at 20:45, seeking a third straight win in Group D.
- Iceland face Ukraine at the same time, and a draw there keeps open the path for France to clinch by winning in Reykjavík on Monday.
- If Ukraine defeat Iceland on Friday, France would be unable to secure qualification before November under the current permutations.
- Only the group winner advances directly to the 2026 World Cup, with overall goal difference used as the primary tiebreaker.
- Didier Deschamps is expected to opt for a 4-2-3-1 with Mike Maignan, Malo Gusto, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez, Adrien Rabiot, Khéphren Thuram, Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise, Hugo Ekitike and captain Kylian Mbappé.