'They must be asleep!' - Didier Deschamps blasts referee for key decision in France draw against Iceland with Manu Kone insisting goal should have been disallowed

France were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw against Iceland in what turned out to be a trickier World Cup qualifying away trip than many expected it to be. Following the game, head coach Didier Deschamps explained his unhappiness with the officiating, claiming that midfielder Manu Kone was fouled in the build up to the hosts' opening goal in the first half.

Iceland frustrate France in World Cup qualifier
Iceland held 2022 World Cup runners-up France to a surprise 2-2 draw in their World Cup qualifying clash at the Laugardalsvollur on Monday. Centre-back Victor Palsson put the hosts ahead in the 39th minute, before Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta fired Les Bleus in the lead in the space of five minutes midway through the second half. That lead didn't last long, however, as substitute Kristian Hlynsson scored the equaliser just two minutes after Mateta's strike. Devoid of Kylian Mbappe's services, in addition to the injury setbacks to Paris Saint-Germain trio Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola, the inexperienced France frontline couldn't manage to penetrate Iceland's defence in the final 20 minutes.

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Deschamps slams refereeing decisions
Speaking to TF1 after the game, Deschamps said: "Having seen the footage, I think there was a clear foul on [Manu] Kone for the first goal. I'm not going to start crying, but sometimes they must be asleep... That the referee didn't see it... I'm not going to blame the referees, but there were also decisions on minor fouls, perhaps because he is here, I had the impression that the environment could influence him a little bit.
"The first goal wasn't a goal. After we conceded the second, it wasn't the referee's fault, not really... even if it was the opponent who scored it. That's what I said to the players, after doing what we did and leading 2-1... But it's true that on their first goal, I've seen it several times, there was a foul.
"The referee didn't see it, we didn't tell him, I'm not going to sum up the match on that, but with zero chances they were leading 1-0 at half-time. But we didn't have many chances either, and I'm not taking anything away from this Icelandic team, which has confirmed that it has quality beyond its ability to repeat runs. It's a good team."
Kone says Iceland goal is 'unfair'
Kone, who was fouled in the build up to the opener scored by Palsson, shared his two cents on the refereeing. "I think it was a foul, he pushed me, which means he didn't play the ball before the goal. But even if we find it a little unfair, it's the referee's decision," he said while speaking to the media after the game.

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Up next for France
The draw ended France's winning streak, having begun the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with three wins out of three. Despite dropping points, they remain unchallenged at the top of their group with 10 points from four games, three more than Ukraine. Their next set of qualifying games are scheduled for November, when they face Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

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Iceland frustrate France in World Cup qualifier

Deschamps slams refereeing decisions

Kone says Iceland goal is 'unfair'

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