June 11, 2016

The Iceland men’s national football team is the national men’s football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland.
Founded: 1947
Arena/Stadium: Laugardalsvöllur
Captain: Aron Gunnarsson
Association: Football Association of Iceland
Confederation: UEFA
Managers: Heimir Hallgrímsson, Lars Lagerbäck

A team on the rise, constructed on the foundations of the talented Under-21 squad that qualified for the 2011 UEFA European Championship in Denmark, Iceland made history by reaching the qualifying play-offs for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Led by former long-serving Sweden head coach Lars Lagerbäck they finished second in their qualifying group, missing out on a place in Brazil after a 2-0 aggregate defeat by Croatia. It was their best ever performance in a major competition, eclipsing their valiant effort to qualify for UEFA EURO 2000 when only a last-day 3-2 defeat in France eliminated them – but even better was to follow as Iceland claimed second place in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group A to reach a major tournament for the first time.

Iceland manager Lars Lagerback’s 23-man squad for the European Championships:

Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Bodo/Glimt), Ogmundur Kristinsson (Hammarby), Ingvar Jonsson (Sandefjord).
Defenders: Ari Skulason (OB), Hordur Magnusson (Cesena), Hjortur Hermannsson (PSV Eindhoven), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Krasnodar), Kari Arnason (Malmo), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Lokeren), Birkir Sævarsson (Hammarby), Haukur Heidar Hauksson (AIK).
Midfielders: Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff), Theodor Elmar Bjarnason (AGF), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Norrkoping), Birkir Bjarnason (Basel), Johann Gudmundsson (Charlton), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Molde), Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (Sundsvall).
Forwards: Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Nantes), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Kaiserslautern).

Best result: never previously qualified
Coach: Lars Lagerbäck/Heimir Hallgrímsson
Leading scorers: all-time – Eidur Gudjohnsen (25); current – Eidur Gudjohnsen (25)
Most appearances: all-time – Rúnar Kristinsson (104); current – Eidur Gudjohnsen (81)
Association formed: 1947
Nickname: Strákarnir okkar (Our boys)
Where they play: Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavik

Iceland national football team jersey

Iceland were slow to make an impression in UEFA European Championship qualifying, failing to record a victory in the 1964 preliminaries. Having not entered in 1968 and 1972 they earned just two wins in their next three campaigns, though the shock 2-1 defeat of East Germany in Reykjavik in 1975 hinted at their potential.

Iceland’s recent history reads much better. Ahead of UEFA EURO 2000 they recorded four wins as they amassed 15 points to run France, Ukraine and Russia close. Four years later they were even closer, missing out on the play-offs by a solitary point after winning half their eight fixtures. They finished second bottom of their UEFA EURO 2008 and 2012 qualifying groups.