2026 World Cup: The scenario that could see France miss out on the tournament

Equipe de France

In football, anything can happen. The French national team has every reason to be wary in these 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

This Thursday at the Parc des Princes, France hosts Ukraine. A win for Les Bleus would be enough to seal their ticket to the 2026 World Cup. But if they lose to Ukraine, both teams would be level on 10 points. That would set up a high-stakes final matchday on Sunday. Ukraine will host Iceland, while France travels to Azerbaijan—a tricky away fixture against a pressure-free side eager to pull off a major upset. If Les Bleus stumble again, a nightmare scenario could unfold.

In that case, Ukraine could leapfrog Les Bleus on goal difference and seize top spot in Group D. France would then find themselves second in the group.

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