News

France Player Ratings Vs Iceland: No Kylian Mbappe, No Party As Iceland Stun Les Bleus In Reykjavik

When France Take To The Pitch, You Expect Fireworks — But This Time In Reykjavik, It Felt More Like A Flickering Candle. A Brave Icelandic Team Stood Tall And Denied Didier Deschamps’ Men A Win, Forcing A Breathless 2-2 Draw That Left Fans Gripping Their Seats.

The Big Talking Point? No Kylian Mbappe, No Party.

Without Their Real Madrid Superstar, France Looked Ordinary — Disjointed, Wasteful, And At Times, Flat-Footed. Iceland, On The Other Hand, Played Like A Team With Nothing To Lose And Everything To Prove.

A Game Of Missed Chances And Nervous Defending

Christopher Nkunku Could Have Put France Ahead Within Minutes But Was Denied By A Brilliant Save. Iceland Then Took Advantage Of France’s Defensive Confusion — A Miscontrolled Ball By Eduardo Camavinga Let Victor Palsson Sneak In To Score, Sending The Home Crowd Wild.

Nkunku Eventually Redeemed Himself With A Gorgeous Equalizer, Cutting In From The Left And Curling Into The Bottom Corner. When Jean-Philippe Mateta Scored His First France Goal Minutes Later, It Looked Like Les Bleus Were Finally In Control.

But Iceland Had Other Plans. Albert Gudmundsson Split The Defense With A Beautiful Pass To Kristian Hlynsson, Who Blasted The Ball Into The Roof Of The Net. 2-2. Chaos. Heartbeats Racing.

Player Ratings – Who Shined, Who Struggled?

  • Mike Maignan (4/10): Nervous Night Between The Sticks. Could Have Done More For Both Goals.

  • William Saliba (5/10): Composed In The League, Shaky In Reykjavik.

  • Eduardo Camavinga (5/10): Gifted Iceland Their Opener. Brilliant On The Ball, But Costly Error.

  • Michael Olise (7/10): France’s Brightest Spark. Created Chances, Full Of Intent.

  • Christopher Nkunku (7/10): Missed Sitters But Scored A Beauty. France’s Main Threat.

  • Jean-Philippe Mateta (6/10): Missed A Few But Took His Goal Well.

What This Means For France

This Draw Leaves France Needing To Regroup Fast. The Energy Mbappe Brings Was Clearly Missing, And Deschamps Has Some Thinking To Do Before The Next Qualifier.

Still, Credit To Iceland — They Played With Heart, Organization, And Courage, Showing That Even Giants Can Stumble On Cold Northern Nights.


At Sports Market International, We Celebrate The Drama, Emotion, And Unpredictability Of The Game. Whether It’s World Cup Qualifiers, Club Battles, Or Transfer Buzz, We Bring You The Best Sport Blog Content To Keep You In The Game.

Abdul Noah Ocholi

Recent Posts

Wilfred Ndidi Backed By Sunday Oliseh As The Next Super Eagles Captain

The conversation around the future leadership of the Super Eagles just got louder—and a lot…

6 minutes ago

Lionel Messi Names His World Cup Favourites — And Leaves Out Argentina And Portugal

Lionel Messi has dropped his early predictions for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and in…

2 hours ago

‘Frustrated And Angry’ – Ruben Amorim Lets Rip At Man Utd After Throwing Away Lead Against West Ham

Manchester United had a golden opportunity to climb into the Premier League’s top five —…

2 hours ago

Man Utd Are Spiralling – And Only Have Themselves To Blame For Predictable WSL Struggles

At the start of the season, everything looked like a fairytale for Manchester United Women.…

2 hours ago

Roy Keane Blasts ‘Frightened’ Manchester United After West Ham Draw

Manchester United thought they had the job wrapped up at Old Trafford… until they didn’t.…

2 hours ago

Manchester United Left Shocked As Late West Ham Goal Snatches Dramatic Draw At Old Trafford

Manchester United Rue Missed Chances As West Ham Strike Late Manchester United fans were left…

2 hours ago