France Aims for World Cup Qualifying Win Against Azerbaijan

Paris, France – France can take a significant step toward securing its place in the 2026 World Cup when it hosts Azerbaijan on Friday at Parc des Princes.

Les Bleus currently lead Group D by three points and could extend their advantage to five with a win over Azerbaijan, who has struggled in their matches so far.

The French team, managed by Didier Deschamps, is the only squad in the group that has won all its opening qualifiers, recently defeating Iceland 2-1 last month. In contrast, Azerbaijan has only earned a single point from two games and is desperate for a win.

Historically, the matchup heavily favors France. The last time the two nations met was 30 years ago, resulting in a commanding 10-0 victory for France.

Deschamps faces challenges ahead of the match, missing key players such as Ousmane Dembele, Marcus Thuram, and Bradley Barcola due to injuries. However, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta could make a significant impact as he aims for his first international cap at age 28.

The match will be streamed live on FS2 with various options available, including Amazon Prime Video in the United States, the UK, and Canada. In Mexico, Sky Sports will broadcast the game.

With the absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is suspended, Deschamps expects players like Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappé to take command of the game. Mbappé, who has scored 52 goals for France, is just behind Olivier Giroud’s record.

Azerbaijan, under caretaker coach Aykhan Abbasov, will strive to turn around their fortunes after a difficult start to the qualifiers, having been relegated in the UEFA Nations League last year.

The French team is seen as the favorite to secure another victory, aiming to maintain their perfect record in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.