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.
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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.
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.
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.
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 |
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Umbro | 1975 |
Adidas | 1976–1991 |
ABM | 1992–1996 |
Reusch | 1996–2001 |
Erreà | 2002–2020 |
Puma | 2020– |
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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 |
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 |
Position | Name |
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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 |
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No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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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 |
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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 | ÅlÄ sk WrocÅaw |
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 |
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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 |
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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 |
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Iceland's final squad was announced on 11 May 2018.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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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 |
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 |
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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 |
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 |
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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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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:
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.