Friday, November 15, 2024 - 01:19:22 AM

The Iceland national team of football (in Icelandic: Islenska karlalandslidid and Knattspyrnu) is the representative of Iceland in the international soccer for men. The team is managed by the Football Association of Iceland, and has been an FIFA membership since 1947, and an UEFA member since 1957. The nickname of the team is Strakarnir okkar that translates to"Our Boys to the people of Icelandic.

The Icelandic team has had great success during the second half of the decade. In the qualifying stages for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Iceland advanced to the semifinals, before losing to Croatia. Iceland was able to participate in their first tournament major, UEFA Euro 2016, following a qualifying tournament that included home and away victories against the Netherlands. After making it to the knockout stage at Euro 2016, Iceland defeated England in the Round of 16 progressing to the quarterfinals, in which they fell to the host nation France by a score of 5-2. They became the nation with the lowest population in terms of population to secure an FIFA World Cup berth when they were selected for the 2018 World Cup on October 9th, 2017. They played Argentina in their first match however, they still missed to the knockout stage.

1.1. 20th century

While Urvalsdeild which is the name of the Icelandic Football League, was created in 1912,[9] the first international match of Iceland took place on the 29th July 1930 against Iceland's Faroe Islands. While Iceland was able to win 1-0 but both teams at the time not affiliated with FIFA. The first match that was officially recognized by FIFA was held in Reykjavik on July 17th, 1946. The result was a loss of 0-3 to their eventual adversaries Denmark. The first victory in international competition occurred with Finland on the 17th of July in 1947. Through the first two decades of Football Association of Iceland (KSI)'s existence, the team mainly did not take part in the qualification process for either the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship. When the year was 1954, Iceland tried to participate in the qualification process to participate in the 1954 World Cup, but the request was turned down. As they qualified to the 1958 World Cup, Iceland finished last in their group, with zero wins, and they conceded 26 goals!

In the year 1980, Iceland won the first edition of the tournament for friendly games called"the Greenland Cup.

Since 1974 the team has taken an active part in qualifying to each World Cup and European Championship. In 1994, the team climbed to their highest ever ranking on the FIFA World Rankings, 37th. The record remained in place until 2016, when they reached 21st. In a friendly match against Estonia on April 24, the 24th of April 1996 at Tallinn, Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen was substituted in place of his dad Arnor. It was the first time both father and son were involved in the same match.

 

1.2. 21st century

In their qualification to play in Euro 2004, Iceland finished third in their group, just one point ahead of Scotland. In the end, they were not able to secure an automatic playoff spot.

However, the next qualifying seasons will be more challenging for Iceland who will try to get the final spots of their respective groups, particularly in the Euro 2008 qualifiers where despite two surprise wins over Northern Ireland (3-0 in the opening fixture away, 2-1 at home on the way back) and a brave fight during the first and second game with the Spanish likely winners from the tournament (a one-sided draw in the home arena following being ahead, and the short loss of 0-1 away) The team was beaten numerous other losses which included two losses to Latvia who had been selected as a surprise team for Euro 2004 as a surprise (0-4 away, 2-4 at home) and one with Liechtenstein (0-3 away following a 1-1 draw at home).

The reason for the absence of performance of the team was due to the lack of professional players on the island. Icelanders enjoyed soccer as a pastime. Additionally, the harsh weather that lasts for eight months didn't help the growth of the sport. There were just two artificial fields, which forced players to practice on gravel and in the winter. In the decade 2000, Icelandic soccer will experience an incredible change. The growth in the economy will allow the authorities to build important structures that have artificial turf pitches indoors that allow soccer being played all year long without having to worry about the weather outside. These new facilities will can encourage youngsters to switch towards sports, and may even will result in a decrease in tobacco and alcohol consumption among teens.

The year 2014 saw Iceland nearly qualified for the first World Cup. In Group D, they finished second They played Croatia in a two-leg match to qualify. After playing to a 0-0 draw during the first leg at home but losing to Croatia 2-0 in the away leg.

Iceland was able to qualify to play in a major tournament for its first time back in 2015 , after finishing second in Group A of qualifying to Euro 2016, losing only two games and defeating the Netherlands who had placed third at the previous World Cup - twice. While qualifying the team reached their highest rank within the FIFA World Rankings, 23rd. Iceland were placed in the same group as Portugal, Hungary and Austria for the final match.

In the finals of the tournament, Iceland recorded 1-1 draws in their two group stage games with Portugal as well as Hungary. They made it to the semi-finals with a 2-1 win against Austria. Iceland was able to make it to the quarter-finals of the tournament following an upset victory of 2-1 over England at the end of the 16th round which resulted in England director Roy Hodgson resigning in disgrace shortly after the whistle blew. But they were defeated by the host country France in the quarterfinals, 5-1.

Iceland was selected to participate in qualifying for 2018 World Cup, their first appearance at the World Cup. They earned qualifying on the 9th of October, 2017 following a 2-0 victory over Kosovo. As a result they became the least-populated country to ever reach the finals. Iceland were chosen in a group that included Croatia, Argentina and Nigeria in a group often referred to for being"the "group that would die". Despite being a difficult team, Iceland were tipped to rise from the group by various journalist websites in light of their stellar performance at Euro 2016. Their first game in the World Cup was against 2014 runners-up Argentina and Iceland astonishingly keeping Argentina to a draw. But Iceland's chances of making it to the next round the group were hampered by an 2-0 loss to Nigeria which included several missed opportunities in the opening half, and a penalty in the second half not gotten by Gylfi Sigurdsson. The result forced Iceland to test their focus against already qualified Croatia. Iceland fell to Croatia during their last game of the group as well. Moreover, since Argentina defeated Nigeria, Iceland finished bottom of the group , with only one point.

Following Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, Iceland was predicted to be playing at Euro 2020. But the team is performing just prior to the fresh Nations League, where they are part of the Group 2 in League A with Switzerland and Belgium. However, the Strakarnir OKkar are showing alarming indicators: the post-World cup period is extremely difficult, because Iceland has conceded four defeats in four games, including an early setback against Switzerland (0-6) in which they were thoroughly dominated by all aspects of the match with the Helvetians. The Icelandic team's international performances were marred by the constant absence of a few of their most important players, usually because of injuries. Meanwhile, Iceland's defense, which is usually a formidable force in the game Icelandic defense, usually impossible to beat in previous crucial games has been demonstrating difficulties in replacing the key players of its past with a new group of young defenders. Because of the new rules that was finally approved in the hands of UEFA, Iceland is not removed from League B for the 2020-2021 edition.

In the group H in the Euro qualifiers , which includes World champions France, Turkey, Albania, Andorra and Moldova, Icelanders are confident that they are accounting on par and don't seem to be awed by the smallest of opponent (Moldova as well as Andorra). However, they are facing greater difficulties in the away (like the 0-6 record in Switzerland) and they lost three games, which included the two matches in the game against The Les Bleus (4-0 on the Stade de France and 1-0 at home, courtesy of penalties after an hour of play, at the conclusion of a tense game) as well as a brutal defeat away to Albania 4-2, however they are still able to beat Turks with four points from six feasible and also being the only undefeated team in the group as and the only team in the group that has not suffered an defeat on this team. They are third behind Turkey and France and France, the Icelanders defeated France 2-1 in their first match of their playoff against Romania because of the brace of Gylfi Sigurdsson during the first period (16th and 34th minutes) even despite the Romanian reduced score by a penalty kick during the second half following consulting with the VAR and they will need to travel to Hungary who won against the hands of Bulgarians (3-1) as well as also made an impressive impression at home in the group E in the Euro 2020 qualifiers by beating Croatia (2-1) and Wales (1-0). On the 12th of November, 2020, in their playoff match with Hungary, Iceland came agonisingly close to being able to qualify for Euro 2020, as it was 1-0 ahead for all of the game, thanks to the direct free kick of Gylfi Sigurdsson, who was assisted by a mistake made by the goalkeeper of the opposition, Peter Gulacsi (11th minute) before Hungary had two goal in just five minutes. The first within the final minute of the game of Loic Nego to stun Iceland and the second one in seconds of additional time, scored by Dominik Szoboszlai. Both proved as the victor. Hungary defeated Iceland with a score of 2-1.

Iceland also had suffered disappointing results during the UEFA Nations League campaign in League A, having lost every game in their group stage and failing to score even a single point. This resulted in their being relegated into League B the following season. Director Erik Hamren ultimately resigned, after their poor performance the previous year.

The beginning of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers was also not fully appreciated by Iceland that had two losses at the start of the tournament. They lost away to Germany (0-3) as well unexpectedly at home against Armenia (0-2). But it appears that the Strakarnir Okkar have returned to the race after winning 4-1 against Liechtenstein and a corresponding defeat from Romania as well as Germany. The critical preparation for the September tournament which Iceland was able to benefit from playing all three games in their home stadium after a string of away matches and some friendly matches throughout June. The preparations were interrupted by extra-sporting events involving key players who were accused of sexual assault and therefore not participating in the month's matches. The allegations also led to the resignation of a number of senior members of the Icelandic Football Association, including the president. In the midst of this, Romania took revenge for the Euro play-off that they lost nearly a year before and beat Strakarnir Okkar with a score of 2-0. The hosts were faced with a draw (2-2 after being trailed 0-2) with North Macedonia before falling heavily against Germany (0-4) and also pointing towards the final spot in the group, having 4 units available with just 4 days left in the qualifying games, drastically decreasing Iceland's chances of being able to qualify for the following World Cup. Then Iceland was able to bounce back in the two games in October, taking on Armenia (1-1) which beat them by 2-0 in March and later by scoring a hefty win over Liechtenstein (4-0). However, Iceland is still 5th in the group and nearing elimination. In spite of everything they held their ground from Romania despite the clear dominance of the Romanian team (0-0) however, they were mathematically eliminated in the final day remaining since the Strakarnir Okkar had to win their two last games and hope for slip-ups by their direct rivals to finish second in the group.

The troubling results are due to a variety of elements, both sporting and non-sporting. One of them is the generational renewal of the older management team that is hindered by the limited number of footballers because of Iceland's population demographics; and the questionable tactics of the coach who is new and inexperienced that have led to the absence of a sense of urgency in the new players who aren't used to playing in a group and lack of a normal team as well as sexual assault scandals which have effectively secluded many of the team's top players and perpetuated the negative cycle.

 

2. Team image

The national team wears blue as their home colour while white is their secondary colors. However, their crest is a stylized images of Iceland's 4 "guardian spirits" (Landvaettir) in Icelandic folklore: a giant dragon, a bull and an Eagle. The team's logo was adopted in the year 2020 and was designed by the Reykjavik-based company Bradenburg. Before that, the team had a crest for the team that featured the shield symbol, which is an abbreviation of Football Association of Iceland in Icelandic (KSI) and strips that draw colors from Iceland's Flag. Flag of Iceland, and football.

The Icelandic fans became famous for their Viking Clap chant in the late 2010s. It involves fans who clap their hands over their heads while shouting "huh!" with the beat the drum. Iceland's Viking Clap was first given global attention during Euro 2016.

 

2.1. Kit suppliers

The official kit is produced by German sports manufacturing company Puma since 2020. Before that the kit providers were Umbro (1975), Adidas (1976–1992), ABM (1992–1996), Reusch (1996–2001) and Erreà (2002–2020)

Kit provider Period
 Umbro 1975
 Adidas 1976–1991
 ABM 1992–1996
 Reusch 1996–2001
 Erreà 2002–2020
 Puma 2020–

3. Results and fixtures

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3.1. 2021

11 October 20212022 FIFA World Cup qualification Iceland  4–0  Liechtenstein Reykjavík, Iceland
11 November 20212022 FIFA World Cup qualification Romania  0–0  Iceland Bucharest, Romania
14 November 20212022 FIFA World Cup qualification North Macedonia  3–1  Iceland Skopje, North Macedonia

3.2. 2022

12 January 2022Friendly Iceland  1–1  Uganda Antalya, Turkey
15 January 2022Friendly Iceland  1–5  South Korea Antalya, Turkey
26 March 2022Friendly Finland  1–1  Iceland Murcia, Spain
29 March 2022Friendly Spain  5–0  Iceland A Coruña, Spain
2 June 20222022–23 UEFA Nations League Israel  2–2  Iceland Haifa, Israel
6 June 20222022–23 UEFA Nations League Iceland  1–1  Albania Reykjavík, Iceland
9 June 2022Friendly San Marino  0–1  Iceland Serravalle, San Marino
10 June 20222022–23 UEFA Nations League Russia  Cancelled  Iceland Moscow, Russia
13 June 20222022–23 UEFA Nations League Iceland  2–2  Israel Reykjavík, Iceland
22 September 2022Friendly Venezuela  0–1  Iceland Mödling, Austria
24 September 20222022–23 UEFA Nations League Iceland  Cancelled  Russia[a] Reykjavík, Iceland
27 September 20222022–23 UEFA Nations League Albania  1–1  Iceland Tirana, Albania
6 November 2022Friendly Iceland  v  Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
16 November 20222022 Baltic Cup Lithuania  v  Iceland Vilnius, Lithuania
19 November 20222022 Baltic Cup Latvia  or Estonia v  Iceland TBD

4. Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach  Arnar Viðarsson
Assistant coach  Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson
Technical advisor  Bjarni Jakobsson
Training coach  Birkir Eyjólfsson
Fitness coach  Ari Þór Örlygsson
First-Team Doctor  Jóhannes Rúnarsson
Goalkeeper coach  Halldór Björnsson
Physiotherapist  Sverrir Sigþórsson

5. Players

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5.1. Current Squad

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson 18 February 1995 (age 27) 19 0  Alanyaspor
13 GK Elías Rafn Ólafsson 11 March 2000 (age 22) 4 0  Midtjylland
12 GK Patrik Gunnarsson 15 November 2000 (age 21) 1 0  Viking

17 DF Aron Gunnarsson (Captain) 22 April 1989 (age 33) 99 2  Al-Arabi
23 DF Hörður Björgvin Magnússon 11 February 1993 (age 29) 43 2  Panathinaikos
4 DF Victor Pálsson 30 April 1991 (age 31) 31 1  D.C. United
5 DF Hjörtur Hermannsson 8 February 1995 (age 27) 25 1  Pisa
14 DF Daníel Leó Grétarsson 2 October 1995 (age 27) 11 0  ÅšlÄ…sk WrocÅ‚aw
3 DF Davíð Kristján Ólafsson 15 May 1995 (age 27) 9 0  Kalmar
2 DF Höskuldur Gunnlaugsson 26 September 1994 (age 28) 5 0  Breiðablik

8 MF Birkir Bjarnason (vice-captain) 27 May 1988 (age 34) 112 15  Adana Demirspor
7 MF Jón Dagur Þorsteinsson 26 November 1998 (age 23) 23 4  OH Leuven
10 MF Arnór Sigurðsson 15 May 1999 (age 23) 23 2  Norrköping
18 MF Mikael Anderson 1 July 1998 (age 24) 16 2  AGF
15 MF Aron Elís Þrándarson 10 November 1994 (age 27) 15 1  OB
6 MF Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson 23 March 2003 (age 19) 15 2  Copenhagen
20 MF Þórir Jóhann Helgason 28 September 2000 (age 22) 14 2  Lecce
16 MF Stefán Teitur Þórðarson 16 October 1998 (age 23) 13 1  Silkeborg
19 MF Mikael Egill Ellertsson 11 March 2002 (age 20) 8 0  Spezia
21 MF Hákon Arnar Haraldsson 10 April 2003 (age 19) 5 0  Copenhagen

11 FW Alfreð Finnbogason 1 February 1989 (age 33) 63 15  Lyngby
9 FW Sveinn Aron Guðjohnsen 12 May 1998 (age 24) 16 1  Elfsborg
22 FW Andri Guðjohnsen 29 January 2002 (age 20) 11 2  Norrköping

5.2. Recent call-ups

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Hákon Rafn Valdimarsson 13 October 2001 (age 20) 2 0  Elfsborg v.  Israel, 13 June 2022
GK Ingvar Jónsson 18 October 1989 (age 32) 8 0  Víkingur Reykjavík v.  San Marino, 9 June 2022 INJ
GK Jökull Andrésson 25 August 2001 (age 21) 1 0  Reading v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022

DF Alfons Sampsted 6 April 1998 (age 24) 13 0  Bodø/Glimt v.  Venezuela, 22 September 2022 INJ
DF Brynjar Ingi Bjarnason 6 December 1999 (age 22) 14 2  Vålerenga v.  Israel, 13 June 2022
DF Atli Barkarson 19 March 2001 (age 21) 4 0  SønderjyskE v.  Israel, 13 June 2022
DF Ari Leifsson 19 April 1998 (age 24) 4 0  Strømsgodset v.  Israel, 13 June 2022
DF Valgeir Lunddal Friðriksson 24 September 2001 (age 21) 3 0  Häcken v.  Israel, 13 June 2022
DF Damir Muminovic 13 May 1990 (age 32) 2 0  Breiðablik v.  San Marino, 9 June 2022
DF Guðmundur Þórarinsson 15 April 1992 (age 30) 12 0  OFI Crete v.  Finland, 26 March 2022 INJ
DF Ísak Ólafsson 30 June 2000 (age 22) 2 0  Esbjerg v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
DF Finnur Tómas Pálmason 12 February 2001 (age 21) 1 0  KR v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
DF Birkir Már Sævarsson 11 November 1984 (age 37) 103 3  Valur v.  North Macedonia, 14 November 2021 RET
DF Ari Freyr Skúlason 14 May 1987 (age 35) 83 0  Norrköping v.  North Macedonia, 14 November 2021 RET
DF Jón Guðni Fjóluson 10 April 1989 (age 33) 18 1  Hammarby v.  Armenia, 8 October 2021 INJ

MF Albert Guðmundsson 15 June 1997 (age 25) 33 6  Genoa v.  Israel, 13 June 2022
MF Júlíus Magnússon 28 June 1998 (age 24) 1 0  Víkingur Reykjavík v.  San Marino, 9 June 2022
MF Bjarki Steinn Bjarkason 11 May 2000 (age 22) 0 0  Venezia v.  Albania, 6 June 2022
MF Willum Þór Willumsson 23 October 1998 (age 23) 1 0  Go Ahead Eagles v.  Israel, 2 June 2022 INJ
MF Arnór Ingvi Traustason 30 April 1993 (age 29) 44 5  Norrköping v.  Spain, 29 March 2022
MF Andri Baldursson 10 January 2002 (age 20) 9 0  NEC v.  Spain, 29 March 2022
MF Viðar Ari Jónsson 10 March 1994 (age 28) 7 0  Honvéd v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Alex Þór Hauksson 26 November 1999 (age 22) 4 0  Öster v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Gísli Eyjólfsson 31 May 1994 (age 28) 4 0  Breiðablik v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Viktor Karl Einarsson 30 January 1997 (age 25) 2 0  Breiðablik v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Kristall Máni Ingason 18 January 2002 (age 20) 2 0  Rosenborg v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Viktor Örlygur Andrason 5 February 2000 (age 22) 2 0  Víkingur Reykjavík v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Valdimar Þór Ingimundarson 28 April 1999 (age 23) 1 0  Sogndal v.  South Korea, 15 January 2022
MF Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson 27 October 1990 (age 31) 81 8  Burnley v.  Armenia, 8 October 2021 INJ

FW Jason Daði Svanþórsson 31 December 1999 (age 22) 1 0  Breiðablik v.  San Marino, 9 June 2022
FW Hólmbert Friðjónsson 19 April 1993 (age 29) 6 2  Lillestrøm v.  Israel, 2 June 2022 WD
FW Jón Daði Böðvarsson 25 May 1992 (age 30) 64 4  Bolton Wanderers v.  Spain, 29 March 2022
FW Brynjólfur Willumsson 12 August 2000 (age 22) 0 0  Kristiansund v.  Uganda, 12 January 2022 INJ
FW Viðar Örn Kjartansson 11 March 1990 (age 32) 32 4  Atromitos v.  Romania, 11 November 2021 INJ
FW Elías Már Ómarsson 18 January 1995 (age 27) 9 0  Nîmes v.  Liechtenstein, 11 October 2021

INJ Withdrew due to injury
RET Retired from the national team
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

5.3. Previous squads

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5.3.1. FIFA World Cup

Iceland's final squad was announced on 11 May 2018.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Hannes Þór Halldórsson 27 April 1984 (aged 34) 49 0  Randers
2 DF Birkir Már Sævarsson 11 November 1984 (aged 33) 79 1  Valur
3 MF Samúel Friðjónsson 22 February 1996 (aged 22) 4 0  Vålerenga
4 MF Albert Guðmundsson 15 June 1997 (aged 20) 5 3  PSV Eindhoven
5 DF Sverrir Ingi Ingason 5 August 1993 (aged 24) 20 3  Rostov
6 DF Ragnar Sigurðsson 19 June 1986 (aged 31) 77 3  Rostov
7 MF Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson 27 October 1990 (aged 27) 67 7  Burnley
8 MF Birkir Bjarnason 27 May 1988 (aged 30) 67 9  Aston Villa
9 FW Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson 26 February 1991 (aged 27) 12 1  Rostov
10 MF Gylfi Sigurðsson 8 September 1989 (aged 28) 57 19  Everton
11 FW Alfreð Finnbogason 1 February 1989 (aged 29) 47 13  FC Augsburg
12 GK Frederik Schram 19 January 1995 (aged 23) 4 0  Roskilde
13 GK Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson 18 February 1995 (aged 23) 3 0  Nordsjælland
14 DF Kári Árnason 13 October 1982 (aged 35) 67 5  Aberdeen
15 DF Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson 6 August 1990 (aged 27) 10 1  Levski Sofia
16 MF Ólafur Ingi Skúlason 1 April 1983 (aged 35) 36 1  Kardemir Karabükspor
17 MF Aron Gunnarsson (captain) 22 April 1989 (aged 29) 77 2  Cardiff City
18 DF Hörður Björgvin Magnússon 11 February 1993 (aged 25) 16 2  Bristol City
19 MF Rúrik Gíslason 25 February 1988 (aged 30) 47 3  SV Sandhausen
20 MF Emil Hallfreðsson 29 June 1984 (aged 33) 64 1  Udinese
21 MF Arnór Ingvi Traustason 30 April 1993 (aged 25) 19 5  Malmö FF
22 FW Jón Daði Böðvarsson 25 May 1992 (aged 26) 38 2  Reading
23 DF Ari Freyr Skúlason 14 May 1987 (aged 31) 56 0  Lokeren

5.3.2. UEFA European Championship

Managers: Heimir Hallgrímsson &  Lars Lagerbäck

Iceland announced their final squad on 9 May.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Hannes Þór Halldórsson 27 April 1984 (aged 32) 33 0  Bodø/Glimt
2 DF Birkir Már Sævarsson 11 November 1984 (aged 31) 57 1  Hammarby IF
3 DF Haukur Heiðar Hauksson 1 September 1991 (aged 24) 7 0  AIK
4 DF Hjörtur Hermannsson 8 February 1995 (aged 21) 3 0  IFK Göteborg
5 DF Sverrir Ingi Ingason 5 August 1993 (aged 22) 6 2  Lokeren
6 DF Ragnar Sigurðsson 19 June 1986 (aged 29) 56 1  Krasnodar
7 MF Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson 27 October 1990 (aged 25) 47 5  Charlton Athletic
8 MF Birkir Bjarnason 27 May 1988 (aged 28) 47 6  Basel
9 FW Kolbeinn Sigþórsson 14 March 1990 (aged 26) 39 20  Nantes
10 MF Gylfi Sigurðsson 8 September 1989 (aged 26) 39 13  Swansea City
11 FW Alfreð Finnbogason 1 February 1989 (aged 27) 34 8  FC Augsburg
12 GK Ögmundur Kristinsson 19 June 1989 (aged 26) 11 0  Hammarby IF
13 GK Ingvar Jónsson 18 October 1989 (aged 26) 5 0  Sandefjord
14 DF Kári Árnason 13 October 1982 (aged 33) 47 2  Malmö FF
15 FW Jón Daði Böðvarsson 25 May 1992 (aged 24) 21 1  1. FC Kaiserslautern
16 MF Rúnar Már Sigurjónsson 18 June 1990 (aged 25) 11 1  GIF Sundsvall
17 MF Aron Gunnarsson (captain) 22 April 1989 (aged 27) 59 2  Cardiff City
18 MF Theódór Elmar Bjarnason 4 March 1987 (aged 29) 27 0  AGF
19 DF Hörður Björgvin Magnússon 11 February 1993 (aged 23) 5 0  Cesena
20 MF Emil Hallfreðsson 29 June 1984 (aged 31) 54 1  Udinese
21 MF Arnór Ingvi Traustason 30 April 1993 (aged 23) 7 3  IFK Norrköping
22 FW Eiður Guðjohnsen 15 September 1978 (aged 37) 86 26  Molde
23 DF Ari Freyr Skúlason 14 May 1987 (aged 29) 38 0  OB

6. Records

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6.1. Most caps

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Birkir Bjarnason 112 15 2010–present
2 Rúnar Kristinsson 104 3 1987–2004
3 Birkir Már Sævarsson 103 3 2007–2021
4 Aron Einar Gunnarsson 99 2 2008–present
5 Ragnar Sigurðsson 97 5 2007–2020
6 Kári Árnason 90 6 2005–2021
7 Hermann Hreiðarsson 89 5 1996–2011
8 Eiður Guðjohnsen 88 26 1996–2016
9 Ari Freyr Skúlason 83 0 2009–2021
10 Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson 81 8 2008–present

6.2. Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Kolbeinn Sigþórsson 26 64 0.41 2010–present
Eiður Guðjohnsen 26 88 0.3 1996–2016
3 Gylfi Sigurðsson 25 78 0.32 2010–present
4 Ríkharður Jónsson 17 33 0.52 1947–1965
5 Alfreð Finnbogason 15 63 0.24 2010–present
Birkir Bjarnason 15 112 0.13 2010–present
7 Ríkharður Daðason 14 44 0.32 1991–2004
Arnór Guðjohnsen 14 73 0.19 1979–1997
9 Þórður Guðjónsson 13 58 0.22 1993–2004
10 Tryggvi Guðmundsson 12 42 0.29 1997–2008
Heiðar Helguson 12 55 0.22 1999–2011

7. Competitive record

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7.1. FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record   FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
 1934
 1938
 1950
 1954 Did not enter Did not enter
 1958 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 6 26
 1962 Did not enter Did not enter
 1966
 1970
 1974 Did not qualify 6 0 0 6 2 29
 1978 6 1 0 5 2 12
 1982 8 2 2 4 10 21
 1986 6 1 0 5 4 10
 1990 8 1 4 3 6 11
 1994 8 3 2 3 7 6
 1998 10 2 3 5 11 16
 2002 10 4 1 5 14 20
 2006 10 1 1 8 14 27
 2010 8 1 2 5 7 13
 2014 12 5 3 4 17 17
 2018 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 2 5 10 7 1 2 16 7
 2022 Did not qualify 10 2 3 5 12 18
 2026 To be determined To be determined
Total Group stage 1/22 3 0 1 2 2 5 116 30 22 64 128 233

7.1.1. List of FIFA

List of FIFA World Cup matches
Year Round Opponent Score Result Date Venue
2018 Group D  Argentina 1–1 Draw 16 June 2018 Moscow, Russia
 Nigeria 2–0 Loss 22 June 2018 Volgograd, Russia
 Croatia 1–2 Loss 26 June 2018 Rostov-on-Don, Russia

7.2. UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record   UEFA European Championship qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
 1964 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 5
 1968 Did not enter Did not enter
 1972
 1976 Did not qualify 6 1 2 3 3 8
 1980 8 0 0 8 2 21
 1984 8 1 1 6 3 13
 1988 8 2 2 4 4 14
 1992 8 2 0 6 7 10
 1996 8 1 2 5 3 12
 2000 10 4 3 3 12 7
 2004 8 4 1 3 11 9
 2008 12 2 2 8 10 27
 2012 8 1 1 6 6 14
 2016 Quarter-finals 8th 5 2 2 1 8 9 10 6 2 2 17 6
 2020 Did not qualify 12 7 1 4 17 14
 2024 To be determined To be determined
Total Quarter-finals 1/16 5 2 2 1 8 9 108 31 18 59 98 160

7.2.1. List of UEFA

List of UEFA European Football Championship matches
Year Round Opponent Score Result Date Venue
2016 Group F  Portugal 1–1 Draw 14 June 2016 Saint-Étienne, France
 Hungary 1–1 Draw 18 June 2016 Marseille, France
 Austria 2–1 Win 22 June 2016 Paris, France
Round of 16  England 2–1 Win 27 June 2016 Nice, France
Quarter- finals  France 5–2 Loss 3 July 2016 Paris, France

7.3. UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
Year Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R Rank
2018–19 A 2 4 0 0 4 1 13   12th
2020–21 A 2 6 0 0 6 3 17   16th
2022–23 B 2 4 0 4 0 6 6   23rd
2024–25 B To be determined
Total 14 0 4 10 10 36 12th

8. Honours

  • Greenland Cup
    •  Champions (2): 1980, 1984
  • China Cup
    •  Runners-up (1): 2017

FAQ

Iceland is yet another nation that has an odd country code that is not intuitive. It's code is ISL which is a reference to Iceland's French title, Islande. The British television channel ITV also used the wrong abbreviation in its broadcast of the match on Saturday that was played between Iceland with Argentina.

We can confidently point to three reasons for the recent record-breaking performance of the Icelandic national men's team. High-quality training facilities, high levels of coach education , and an excellent player generation. These three factors are the most significant contributors. Mentality and the culture could also be involved.

Iceland National football team

The Iceland national team of football (in Icelandic: Islenska karlalandslidid and Knattspyrnu) is the team that represents Iceland in international football for men.

The Icelandic Soccer Federation Board Resigns In Unrest Over Sexual Assault Allegations. The Icelandic soccer federation is at risk following a scandal involving sexual assault allegations against players led to an unprecedented resignation. Here, Iceland's flag is displayed at the sidelines during an international game.

After 12 unsuccessful qualifying seasons, Iceland qualified for the FIFA World Cup, for the first time in the year 2018. In 2018, the 2018 FIFA World Cup was Iceland's second major international event after qualifying to play in UEFA Euro 2016.

 

Euro 2016

The draw for the final stage which took place on the 12th of December 2015, Iceland was selected into Pot 4. At Euro 2016, Iceland came second in their group and unbeaten (which comprised a draw with Portugal and a victory against Austria).

 

"We have shown that there is no differences from ISL as well as I-League," the Italian coach told the press after the match media press conference. In a dig at the selection process of India Coach Igor Stimac, Annesse said: "Most of the time the coach doesn't allow our players to play in the national team.

 

Let's take a look some of the top ball-dominated clubs from the Hero ISL:

  • FC Goa (9586 passes completed)
  • ATK Mohun Bagan (8862 passes completed)
  • Mumbai City FC (8362 passes completed)
  • Kerala Blasters FC (8140 passes completed)
  • Hyderabad FC (8037 passes completed)

Group J of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group J was one of the 10 UEFA groups participating in the World Cup qualification tournament to determine which teams will be eligible to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals tournament in Qatar. Group J is comprised of the following players: Armenia, Germany, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia and Romania.

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