France beat Iceland 2-1 to top World Cup qualifying Group D

France came from behind to beat Iceland 2-1 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, holding on despite a second-half red card to secure a second consecutive victory in Group D of UEFA World Cup qualifying. Andri Gudjohnsen put Iceland ahead in the 22nd minute, Kylian Mbappé levelled from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime, and Bradley Barcola put the hosts back in front early in the second half. A late Iceland goal was ruled out after a VAR review, leaving France with six points from two matches.

Iceland capitalised on a defensive error by Michael Olise to take a surprise lead when Gudjohnsen intercepted a misplayed back pass and finished from close range. France pressed for an equaliser and were awarded a penalty just before halftime when Marcus Thuram went down in the box following a challenge. Mbappé converted from the spot, a strike that, according to match reports, was his 52nd international goal and put him ahead of Thierry Henry on France’s all-time scoring list.

France appeared in control after the break, and the hosts took the lead in the 62nd minute when Mbappé surged into the box and squared for Barcola to tap into an empty net. The match then turned when Aurélien...