Birkir Bjarnason facts for kids
Birkir playing for Iceland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Birkir Bjarnason | ||
| Date of birth | 27 May 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Akureyri, Iceland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| KA Akureyri | |||
| Austrått | |||
| Figgjo | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2011 | Viking | 103 | (16) |
| 2008 | → Bodø/Glimt (loan) | 22 | (5) |
| 2012–2013 | Standard Liège | 16 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → Pescara (loan) | 24 | (2) |
| 2013 | Pescara | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Sampdoria | 14 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Pescara | 35 | (10) |
| 2015–2017 | FC Basel | 42 | (14) |
| 2017–2019 | Aston Villa | 48 | (5) |
| 2019 | Al-Arabi | 5 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Brescia | 39 | (6) |
| 2021–2023 | Adana Demirspor | 41 | (5) |
| 2023 | Viking | 11 | (2) |
| 2023–2025 | Brescia | 64 | (9) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2004 | Iceland U17 | 7 | (2) |
| 2005–2007 | Iceland U19 | 14 | (3) |
| 2006–2011 | Iceland U21 | 25 | (4) |
| 2010–2022 | Iceland | 113 | (15) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2022 |
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Birkir Bjarnason (born May 27, 1988) is a professional footballer from Iceland. He plays as a central midfielder and is famous for playing the most games ever for the Iceland national team.
Contents
Club Career
Early Years in Norway
Birkir was born in Akureyri, Iceland, but his family moved to Norway when he was 11. He joined the youth team of Figgjo and later signed with the professional club Viking in 2005.
In 2006, he scored his first goal for Viking. He quickly became a key player, helping his team avoid being moved to a lower league. The next year, he helped Viking finish in third place. In 2008, he was loaned to another Norwegian club, Bodø/Glimt, where he had a great season and helped them finish fourth in the league.
Playing Across Europe
On January 12, 2012, Birkir moved to Belgium to play for Standard Liège. After a short time there, he went to Italy to play for Pescara in the top Italian league, Serie A. He later played for another Italian team, Sampdoria, before returning to Pescara.
In his second time at Pescara, he was made the team captain. He had a fantastic season, scoring 12 goals and leading his team to the promotion playoffs. Pescara came very close to being promoted back to Serie A but narrowly lost in the final.
Winning with FC Basel
In July 2015, Birkir joined the Swiss champions, FC Basel. He quickly became an important player, scoring goals in both the Swiss league and European competitions like the UEFA Champions League.
At the end of the 2015–16 season, Birkir and his team won the Swiss Super League championship. This was a huge success for him and the seventh title in a row for the club.
Move to England
On January 25, 2017, Birkir signed with Aston Villa, a famous club in England's Championship league. He scored his first goal for the team in an EFL Cup match. He helped Aston Villa win the promotion playoffs in 2019, which meant the team moved up to the Premier League.
Recent Clubs
After leaving Aston Villa, Birkir played for clubs in different countries. He had a short time with Al-Arabi in Qatar before returning to Italy to play for Brescia.
In 2021, he moved to Turkey to play for Adana Demirspor. He later made a brief return to his first club, Viking, in 2023 before rejoining Brescia that same year, where he continues to play.
International Career
Birkir has had a long and successful career playing for his home country, Iceland. He made his first appearance for the senior Iceland national team in 2010. With 113 appearances, he holds the record for the most games played for Iceland.
He scored his first goal for Iceland in a match against France in 2012. His goals were very important in helping Iceland try to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
UEFA Euro 2016
Birkir was a star player for Iceland during the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. He made history by scoring Iceland's first-ever goal in a major tournament in a 1–1 draw against Portugal.
He was also part of the team that famously defeated the England 2–1 in the round of 16. This was a huge upset and one of the most exciting moments in Iceland's football history.
2018 World Cup
In May 2018, Birkir was chosen to be in Iceland's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. This was the first time Iceland had ever played in a World Cup, and Birkir was a key part of the team.
Honours
FC Basel
- Swiss Super League: 2015–16
Aston Villa
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Birkir Bjarnason para niños
