On Sunday, November 16, at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku, the clash valid for Matchday 6 of Group D in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers gets underway. It’s a match between two national teams that, by now, have nothing left to fight for in this campaign: Azerbaijan has never truly been in contention for qualification, while France has already secured a spot at the World Cup after beating Ukraine in the previous round. Despite the group’s fate already being sealed, Didier Deschamps’ men fully intend to finish their journey in style, aiming for another win to complete Group D unbeaten. This game is also an excellent opportunity for the French manager to make final assessments ahead of his squad selections, and for several players to showcase their abilities and earn additional trust ahead of the North American tournament. A different situation for Azerbaijan, bottom of the group, who will at least try to give their fans something to cheer about: earning their first victory of this qualifying campaign and closing their run with a prestigious win against the current World Cup runners-up.

Azerbaijan's Recent Form and Key Stats

Azerbaijan comes into this match on the back of three consecutive defeats and, more generally, has lost ten of their last twelve matches across all competitions. Their latest loss came on November 13: a 0–2 home defeat against Iceland, conceding both Icelandic goals—scored by Gudmundsson and Ingason—in the first half.

The Azeris sit last in Group D with just 1 point, coming from 1 draw and 4 defeats, averaging 0.5 goals scored and 2.6 conceded per match. In their last three games, they have always conceded at least two goals, highlighting their defensive limitations.

In their first two home matches of the group, Abbasov’s men drew 1–1 against Ukraine and lost 0–2 to Iceland. More broadly, they have won only one of their last six home matches across all competitions, completing the record with three defeats and two draws.

France's Recent Form and Key Stats

France are enjoying a strong run of form, coming into this match unbeaten in six straight games, during which they have collected five wins and one draw. In their latest match on November 13, Deschamps’ men cruised to a 4–0 win over Ukraine at the Stade de France, thanks to goals from Mbappé (2), Ekitike and Olise.

After England, France became the second European national team to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup, with 13 points so far from 4 wins and 1 draw. The current World Cup runners-up have been prolific in front of goal, averaging 2.6 goals per match, while also maintaining defensive solidity, having conceded just 3 goals in five matches.

Les Bleus have not lost away from home in three matches, with two wins against Germany and Ukraine, and a draw against Iceland. Focusing solely on World Cup Qualifiers, they have not lost any of their last six away matches in this competition.

Azerbaijan vs France Prediction by BetMines

Even though they have already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup, France head into this match as clear favorites to close out the group with another victory. The French hold a strong record against Azerbaijan, having won all three previous meetings with an average of 5 goals scored per match, without conceding any.

According to the BetMines algorithm, Didier Deschamps’ side has a 70% chance of winning, while the draw is assessed at 19% and an Azerbaijan victory at 11%.

The feeling is that France could win by scoring at least three goals while keeping a clean sheet, making the Over 2.5 Goals market and the “at least one team does not score” bet particularly interesting. Over 2.5 Goals has occurred in three of Azerbaijan’s five matches, as well as in France’s last four.

Regarding the “at least one team does not score” outcome, it has occurred in two of the last three meetings between these two nations, confirming both Azerbaijan’s offensive struggles and France’s defensive solidity.

Probable Lineups Azerbaijan vs France

AZERBAIJAN (3-4-3): Bayramov; Badalov, Mustafazade, Krivotsyuk; Huseynov, Makhmudov, Khaybulaev, Abbasov; Akhmedzade, Aliyev, Akhundzade. Coach: Abbasov 

FRANCE (4-2-3-1): Chevalier; Gusto, Konate, Saliba, L Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Kante; Nkunku, Cherki, Barcola; Ekitike. Coach: Deschamps