Iceland-France 2026 World Cup Qualifier Ends in 2-2 Draw with Strong TV Viewership

October 14, 2025 8:05pm

The Iceland-France 2026 World Cup qualifier ended 2-2 with strong French TV audience numbers, reflecting high public interest despite France's unsettled qualification status.

Key details

• The Iceland-France match ended in a 2-2 draw in their 2026 World Cup qualifier.
• Goals were scored by Victor Palsson and Kristian Hlynsson for Iceland, and Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta for France.
• France has not yet secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
• The match was watched by 4.674 million viewers on TF1, with a 23.8% audience share.
• The earlier match had an even higher viewership of 5.45 million with a 29.9% share.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifier match between Iceland and France, the game concluded in a 2-2 draw, marking the fifth draw in their 17 encounters. Iceland took the lead with Victor Palsson's goal in the 39th minute. France responded in the second half, with Christopher Nkunku equalizing at 63 minutes and Jean-Philippe Mateta, scoring his first national team goal, putting France ahead shortly after. Nevertheless, Iceland leveled the score again through Kristian Hlynsson in the 70th minute, taking advantage of a defensive error by Jules Koundé.

Despite missing key players like captain Kylian Mbappé and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, France remains unqualified for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. The match on October 14, 2025, attracted an average of 4.674 million viewers on TF1, corresponding to a 23.8% audience share, showing significant interest but less than the earlier home match on September 9, which drew 5.45 million viewers with a 29.9% share.

These ratings highlight strong public engagement with France's World Cup qualifying campaign despite the challenging draw and squad absences. The match's competitive nature and fluctuating scoreline contributed to sustained viewer attention throughout the broadcast.

This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.