The evening should have been one of confirmation, but it ultimately turned into frustration for the Blues. Opposed to a courageous, but limited Icelandic team, Didier Deschamps' team was hung up in Reykjavik (2-2) during the 8th day of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Without Kylian Mbappé, injured, the French coach had chosen to trust a largely overhauled eleven, where Jean-Philippe Mateta and Christopher Nkunku were distinguished by scoring. But despite a clear domination in the game, France once again paid dearly for its lack of defensive concentration and, according to Deschamps, certain refereeing decisions which influenced the scenario of the match. The Blues coach did not mince his words at the final whistle.
If he recognized errors in the positioning of his team, notably on the second Icelandic goal, he also pointed out an uncalled fault at the origin of the opponent's opening score. “On the first goal, having reviewed the images, there is a fault on KonĂ©, it is obvious”railed Deschamps, believing that the main referee had missed a decisive incident. “I'm not going to start crying, sometimes they have to sleep. The referee doesn't see it, but… I'm not going to blame it, even if some decisions show that the environment can influence it.”he added, visibly annoyed by what he considers to be a lack of fairness in several key sequences of the meeting. This anger is hardly surprising since the French coach had already expressed his incomprehension at half-time: “ I'm not going to say wronged, but I think the players felt the injustice at the time. The foul is not obvious at the base on the free kick and there is a foul on Manu KonĂ©. We can't go back. They have an opportunity and score this goal. »
A fault on Koné?
For the coach, this feeling of injustice adds to the sporting frustration. The Blues dominated, but without realizing their influence, while Iceland knew how to exploit their rare opportunities, two shots on target, two goals. “We had great control, but that is not enough. What annoys me is the way of taking the 2nd goal. We are poorly positioned, too high, it’s slacking”regretted Deschamps, highlighting the repetition of this type of errors after a similar scenario against Ukraine a few days earlier. “This must not happen to us. This is what stops us from winning. ». Between tactical regret and refereeing anger, the French technician seemed torn between demand and exasperation.
Following his intervention on TF1Deschamps wanted to place his criticisms in a broader context, with a team in reconstruction, marked by absences and newcomers. “The new ones are proving themselves, but it takes time. We can't just replace players who have had a string of matches and who are automatic. » Despite the frustration, the coach wanted to retain the positive, particularly in Mateta's attitudes* and Akliouche, while hoping that his players will be able to bounce back from the next gathering. “This draw is not a disaster, but it must serve us. Next month will be decisive”*, he concluded. Behind the words, Deschamps' cold anger reflects a certainty. To aim high, France will not only have to defend better, but also deal with sometimes contested refereeing.
