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Iceland national football team facts for kids

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Iceland
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Strákarnir okkar (Our Boys)
Association Knattspyrnusamband Íslands (KSÍ)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Arnar Gunnlaugsson
Captain Orri Óskarsson
Most caps Birkir Bjarnason (113)
Top scorer Gylfi Sigurðsson (27)
Home stadium Laugardalsvöllur
FIFA code ISL
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 38 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 18 (February–March 2018)
Lowest 131 (April–June 2012)
Elo ranking
Current 47 Decrease 26 (3 March 2019)
Highest 19 (October 2017)
Lowest 128 (August 1973)
First international
Unofficial
 Faroe Islands 0–1 Iceland 
(Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; 29 July 1930)
Official
 Iceland 0–3 Denmark 
(Reykjavík, Iceland; 17 July 1946)
Biggest win
Unofficial
 Iceland 9–0 Faroe Islands 
(Keflavík, Iceland; 10 July 1985)
Official
 Liechtenstein 0–7 Iceland 
(Vaduz, Liechtenstein; 26 March 2023)
Biggest defeat
 Denmark 14–2 Iceland 
(Copenhagen, Denmark; 23 August 1967)
World Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2018)
Best result Group stage (2018)
European Championship
Appearances 1 (first in 2016)
Best result Quarter-finals (2016)
Greenland Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 1980)
Best result Champions (1980, 1984)
Baltic Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2022)
Best result Champions (2022)

The Iceland men's national football team represents Iceland in international football games. The team is known as Strákarnir okkar, which means Our Boys in Icelandic. The Football Association of Iceland controls the team. Iceland has been a member of FIFA since 1947 and UEFA since 1957.

The team had great success in the late 2010s. They almost made it to the 2014 FIFA World Cup playoffs. Iceland then reached their first big tournament, UEFA Euro 2016, after beating the Netherlands twice. At Euro 2016, they surprised everyone by beating England to reach the quarter-finals. They were then knocked out by host nation France. Iceland also became the smallest country to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2017, playing in the 2018 tournament. They even drew with Argentina in their first match there.

Team History

Early Days of Icelandic Football

The first official international match for Iceland was on July 17, 1946, in Reykjavík. They lost 0–3 to Denmark. Their first international win was against Finland in 1947. For many years, the team did not often try to qualify for the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship. In 1958, Iceland played in World Cup qualifiers for the first time but lost all their games.

In 1980, Iceland won the first Greenland Cup, which was a friendly tournament. Since 1974, the team has taken part in qualifiers for every World Cup and European Championship. In 1994, they reached their highest FIFA World Rankings spot at the time, 37th. This was beaten in 2016 when they reached 21st. A special moment happened in 1996 when Eiður Guðjohnsen played in the same international match as his father, Arnór Guðjohnsen.

Football in the 21st Century

2018 World Cup Iceland1
Iceland national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Rostov-on-Don, Russia

In the qualifiers for Euro 2004, Iceland finished third in their group, just missing out on a playoff spot. After this, the team had some tough years. They often finished near the bottom of their groups in qualifiers. For example, in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, they had some big losses.

For a long time, Icelandic football faced challenges. There weren't many professional players, and the cold, long winters made it hard to train outdoors. However, in the 2000s, things changed a lot. Money was invested to build indoor football fields with artificial turf. This meant young players could train all year round, no matter the weather. These new facilities helped more young people get into sports.

In 2014, Iceland nearly qualified for their first World Cup. They finished second in their group and played Croatia in a playoff. After a 0–0 draw at home, they lost 2–0 away.

Euro 2016 Success

Iceland made history in 2015 by qualifying for a major tournament for the first time. They finished second in their group for Euro 2016, losing only two games. They even beat the Netherlands (who had finished third in the 2014 World Cup) twice during qualification. This helped them reach their highest FIFA ranking at the time, 23rd.

At the Euro 2016 tournament, Iceland drew their first two group matches against Portugal and Hungary. They then won 2–1 against Austria to move on from their group. In the Round of 16, Iceland caused a big upset by beating England 2–1. This win was a huge moment for the team. They were eventually knocked out by host nation France in the quarter-finals, losing 5–2.

Iceland national football team World Cup 2018
World Cup team 2018

2018 World Cup Debut

Iceland qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on October 9, 2017, after a 2–0 win against Kosovo. This was their first time ever in the World Cup. They also became the country with the smallest population to reach the finals. Iceland was placed in a tough group with Croatia, Argentina, and Nigeria.

Their first World Cup match was against 2014 runners-up Argentina, and Iceland managed a fantastic 1–1 draw. However, they lost 2–0 to Nigeria and then 2–1 to Croatia in their final group game. Iceland finished last in their group with one point and was eliminated.

Recent Challenges

After their big successes, Iceland faced some difficult times. In the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, they lost all four of their games. They also had a tough time in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. They finished third in their group but made it to the playoffs. In a very close playoff game against Hungary, Iceland was leading 1–0 until the last few minutes but lost 2–1 after Hungary scored two quick goals.

The team also struggled in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, losing all their matches and being moved down to a lower league. The coach, Erik Hamrén, resigned after this.

The 2022 World Cup qualifiers also started poorly for Iceland. The team faced some challenges outside of football that affected player availability and led to changes in the Football Association. Iceland ended up in second-to-last place in their group and did not qualify. These results were due to a mix of factors, including new players needing time to play together and other issues.

The Euro 2024 qualifiers also had a difficult start. Iceland lost to Bosnia 0–3 but then had their biggest official win ever, beating Liechtenstein 7–0. The coach, Arnar Viðarsson, was replaced by Åge Hareide. Under the new coach, Iceland lost to Slovakia and Portugal. Despite a good effort against Portugal, they lost 0–1 to a late goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. Iceland finished 4th in their group but still had a chance in the playoffs. In the playoff semi-final, they beat Israel 4–1. However, in the final match against Ukraine, Iceland lost 2–1 after leading at half-time.

In the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League, Iceland was moved down to League C for the next season. They finished 3rd in their group, beating Montenegro twice but losing heavily to Wales and Turkey. They then played in promotion/relegation playoffs against Kosovo. Iceland lost both games, 1–2 away and 1–3 at home (played in Spain due to stadium renovations), meaning they will play in League C next season.

Team Look and Supporters

Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland's national football stadium
Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland's national football stadium

The Iceland national team wears blue for their home games and white for their away games. Their team badge, adopted in 2020, shows special guardian spirits from Icelandic stories: a giant, a dragon, a bull, and an eagle. Before this, their badge had the letters KSI (for the Football Association of Iceland) and stripes like the Flag of Iceland.

Icelandic fans became famous for their "Viking Thunder Clap" chant in the mid-2010s. This involves fans clapping their hands above their heads and shouting "huh!" to the beat of a drum. This tradition became well-known during Euro 2016.

Kit Providers

The team's official uniforms are made by the German company Puma since 2020. Before that, other companies like Umbro, Adidas, ABM, Reusch, and Erreà made their kits.

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

Team Staff

Position Name
Head coach Iceland Arnar Gunnlaugsson
Assistant coach Iceland Davíð Snorri Jónasson
Technical advisor Iceland Bjarni Jakobsson
Training coach Iceland Birkir Eyjólfsson
Fitness coach Iceland Ari Þór Örlygsson
First-Team Doctor Iceland Jóhannes Rúnarsson
Goalkeeper coach Iceland Halldór Björnsson
Athletic coach Iceland Arnór Snær Guðmundsson
Physiotherapist Iceland Sverrir Sigþórsson

Players

Current Squad

Here are the players who were chosen for the friendly matches in June 2025 against Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Northern Ireland.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Elías Rafn Ólafsson (2000-03-11) 11 March 2000 (age 25) 7 0 Denmark Midtjylland
12 1GK Hákon Valdimarsson (2001-10-13) 13 October 2001 (age 23) 20 0 England Brentford
13 1GK Anton Ari Einarsson (1994-08-25) 25 August 1994 (age 30) 2 0 Iceland Breiðablik

2 2DF Logi Tómasson (2000-09-13) 13 September 2000 (age 24) 10 1 Turkey Samsunspor
3 2DF Daníel Leó Grétarsson (1995-10-02) 2 October 1995 (age 29) 24 0 Denmark Sønderjyske
4 2DF Victor Pálsson (1991-04-30) 30 April 1991 (age 34) 50 3 England Plymouth Argyle
5 2DF Sverrir Ingi Ingason (1993-08-05) 5 August 1993 (age 31) 59 3 Greece Panathinaikos
17 2DF Aron Gunnarsson (1989-04-22) 22 April 1989 (age 36) 107 5 Qatar Al-Gharafa
19 2DF Dagur Dan Þórhallsson (2000-05-02) 2 May 2000 (age 25) 7 0 United States Orlando City
23 2DF Hörður Björgvin Magnússon (1993-02-11) 11 February 1993 (age 32) 50 2 Unattached

6 3MF Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson (2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 22) 35 4 Germany 1. FC Köln
7 3MF Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson (1990-10-27) 27 October 1990 (age 34) 99 8 United Arab Emirates Al Dhafra
8 3MF Hákon Arnar Haraldsson (vice-captain) (2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 22) 22 3 France Lille
11 3MF Jón Dagur Þorsteinsson (1998-11-26) 26 November 1998 (age 26) 46 6 Germany Hertha Berlin
14 3MF Þórir Jóhann Helgason (2000-09-28) 28 September 2000 (age 24) 19 2 Italy Lecce
15 3MF Willum Þór Willumsson (1998-10-23) 23 October 1998 (age 26) 18 0 England Birmingham City
16 3MF Stefán Teitur Þórðarson (1998-10-16) 16 October 1998 (age 26) 30 1 England Preston North End
18 3MF Mikael Anderson (1998-07-01) 1 July 1998 (age 27) 33 2 Sweden Djurgården
20 3MF Kristian Hlynsson (2004-01-23) 23 January 2004 (age 21) 4 0 Netherlands Twente
21 3MF Arnór Ingvi Traustason (1993-04-30) 30 April 1993 (age 32) 67 6 Sweden IFK Norrköping
24 3MF Mikael Egill Ellertsson (2002-03-11) 11 March 2002 (age 23) 21 1 Italy Genoa

9 4FW Sævar Atli Magnússon (2000-06-16) 16 June 2000 (age 25) 6 0 Norway Brann
10 4FW Albert Guðmundsson (1997-06-15) 15 June 1997 (age 28) 41 10 Italy Fiorentina
22 4FW Andri Guðjohnsen (2002-01-29) 29 January 2002 (age 23) 34 9 Belgium Gent

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up to the Iceland squad in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Lúkas Petersson (2004-01-09) 9 January 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Germany TSG Hoffenheim v.  Kosovo, 23 March 2025
GK Patrik Gunnarsson (2000-11-15) 15 November 2000 (age 24) 4 0 Belgium Kortrijk v.  Turkey, 14 October 2024

DF Bjarki Steinn Bjarkason (2000-05-11) 11 May 2000 (age 25) 5 0 Italy Venezia v.  Scotland, 6 June 2025 INJ
DF Valgeir Lunddal Friðriksson (2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23) 16 0 Germany Fortuna Düsseldorf v.  Kosovo, 23 March 2025
DF Alfons Sampsted (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 27) 23 0 England Birmingham City v.  Wales, 19 November 2024
DF Rúnar Þór Sigurgeirsson (1999-12-28) 28 December 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Netherlands Willem II v.  Wales, 19 November 2024
DF Hlynur Freyr Karlsson (2004-04-06) 6 April 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Sweden Brommapojkarna v.  Montenegro, 16 November 2024 INJ
DF Kolbeinn Finnsson (1999-08-25) 25 August 1999 (age 25) 14 0 Netherlands Utrecht v.  Montenegro, 16 November 2024 INJ
DF Hjörtur Hermannsson (1995-02-08) 8 February 1995 (age 30) 29 1 Greece Volos v.  Turkey, 14 October 2024
DF Brynjar Ingi Bjarnason (1999-12-06) 6 December 1999 (age 25) 17 2 Norway HamKam v.  Montenegro, 6 September 2024 INJ

MF Arnór Sigurðsson (1999-05-15) 15 May 1999 (age 26) 34 2 Sweden Malmö FF v.  Scotland, 6 June 2025 INJ
MF Júlíus Magnússon (1998-06-28) 28 June 1998 (age 27) 5 0 Sweden Elfsborg v.  Kosovo, 23 March 2025
MF Andri Baldursson (2002-01-10) 10 January 2002 (age 23) 10 0 Unattached v.  Wales, 19 November 2024
MF Gylfi Sigurðsson (1989-09-08) 8 September 1989 (age 35) 83 27 Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík v.  Turkey, 14 October 2024

FW Orri Óskarsson (captain) (2004-08-29) 29 August 2004 (age 20) 16 7 Spain Real Sociedad v.  Kosovo, 23 March 2025
FW Brynjólfur Willumsson (2000-08-12) 12 August 2000 (age 24) 2 1 Netherlands Groningen v.  Wales, 19 November 2024

INJ Withdrew due to injury.
RET Retired from the national team.
SUS Serving suspension.
WD Withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

.

Team Records

Players in bold are still active with Iceland.

Most Games Played

Birkir Bjarnason 2018
Birkir Bjarnason is Iceland's all-time most capped player with 113 caps.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Birkir Bjarnason 113 15 2010–2022
2 Aron Gunnarsson 107 5 2008–present
3 Rúnar Kristinsson 104 3 1987–2004
4 Birkir Már Sævarsson 103 3 2007–2021
5 Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson 99 8 2008–present
6 Ragnar Sigurðsson 97 5 2007–2020
7 Kári Árnason 90 6 2005–2021
8 Hermann Hreiðarsson 89 5 1996–2011
9 Eiður Guðjohnsen 88 26 1996–2016
10 Gylfi Sigurðsson 83 27 2010–present
Ari Freyr Skúlason 83 0 2009–2021

Top Goal Scorers

ISL-HRV (21) (cropped)
Gylfi Sigurðsson is Iceland's all-time top scorer with 27 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Gylfi Sigurðsson 27 83 0.33 2010–present
2 Kolbeinn Sigþórsson 26 64 0.41 2010–2021
Eiður Guðjohnsen 26 88 0.3 1996–2016
4 Alfreð Finnbogason 18 73 0.25 2010–2023
5 Ríkharður Jónsson 17 33 0.52 1947–1965
6 Birkir Bjarnason 15 113 0.13 2010–2022
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

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Iceland has played in one FIFA World Cup tournament.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Brazil 1950 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Switzerland 1954 Did not enter Did not enter
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 6 26
Chile 1962 Did not enter Did not enter
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 6 0 0 6 2 29
Argentina 1978 6 1 0 5 2 12
Spain 1982 8 2 2 4 10 21
Mexico 1986 6 1 0 5 4 10
Italy 1990 8 1 4 3 6 11
United States 1994 8 3 2 3 7 6
France 1998 10 2 3 5 11 16
South Korea Japan 2002 10 4 1 5 14 20
Germany 2006 10 1 1 8 14 27
South Africa 2010 8 1 2 5 7 13
Brazil 2014 12 5 3 4 17 17
Russia 2018 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 2 5 Squad 10 7 1 2 16 7
Qatar 2022 Did not qualify 10 2 3 5 12 18
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 1/18 3 0 1 2 2 5 116 30 22 64 128 233

UEFA European Championship Appearances

Iceland has played in one UEFA European Championship tournament.

UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
Spain 1964 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 5
Italy 1968 Did not enter Did not enter
Belgium 1972
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 Did not qualify 6 1 2 3 3 8
Italy 1980 8 0 0 8 2 21
France 1984 8 1 1 6 3 13
West Germany 1988 8 2 2 4 4 14
Sweden 1992 8 2 0 6 7 10
England 1996 8 1 2 5 3 12
Belgium Netherlands 2000 10 4 3 3 12 7
Portugal 2004 8 4 1 3 11 9
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 2 2 8 10 27
Poland Ukraine 2012 8 1 1 6 6 14
France 2016 Quarter-finals 8th 5 2 2 1 8 9 Squad 10 6 2 2 17 6
Europe 2020 Did not qualify 12 7 1 4 17 14
Germany 2024 12 4 1 7 22 19
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Quarter-finals 1/14 5 2 2 1 8 9 110 35 19 66 120 179

UEFA Nations League History

UEFA Nations League record
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R Rank
2018–19 A 2 4 0 0 4 1 13 Same position 12th
2020–21 A 2 6 0 0 6 3 17 Fall 16th
2022–23 B 2 4 0 4 0 6 6 Same position 23rd
2024–25 B 4 8 2 1 5 12 18 Fall 27th
Total 22 2 5 15 22 54 12th

Team Achievements

Regional Cups

Friendly Tournaments

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

FIFA Ranking Over Time

This table shows Iceland's position in the FIFA World Rankings each year.

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
46 47 39 50 60 72 64 43 50 52 58 58 93 94 93 90 83 92 112 104 90 49 33 36 21 22 37 39 46 62 63 71 70

More About Icelandic Football

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Islandia para niños

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