kids encyclopedia robot

Iceland national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Iceland women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Iceland
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Strákarnir okkar (Our Boys)
Association Knattspyrnusamband Íslands (KSÍ)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Åge Hareide
Captain Aron Gunnarsson
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 national football team is the official men's football team for Iceland. They play international matches and are controlled by the Football Association of Iceland (KSÍ). Iceland has been a member of FIFA since 1947 and UEFA since 1957. The team's nickname is Strákarnir okkar, which means Our Boys in Icelandic.

The team became very successful in the late 2010s. They almost made it to the 2014 FIFA World Cup but lost in the playoffs. Then, they qualified for their first big tournament, UEFA Euro 2016. They even beat England in the Round of 16 before losing to France in the quarter-finals. In 2017, Iceland became the smallest country by population to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup, playing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They even tied their first match against Argentina!

History of Icelandic Football

Early Days: 20th Century

Football started in Iceland with the first league in 1912. The first international match was in 1930 against the Faroe Islands, which Iceland won 1–0. However, this game wasn't officially recognized by FIFA. The first official FIFA match was in 1946, a 0–3 loss to Denmark. Iceland got its first official win against Finland in 1947. For many years, the team didn't join World Cup or European Championship qualifiers. They tried to join the 1954 World Cup but were rejected. In 1958, they finished last in their group.

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

Modern Era: 21st Century Success

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

In the early 2000s, Iceland struggled in qualifiers. For example, in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, they had some big losses. One reason for these struggles was that many Icelandic players weren't full-time professionals. Also, the cold climate meant limited places to train.

However, things changed a lot in the 2000s. Iceland's economy grew, allowing new indoor football fields with artificial grass to be built. This meant players could train all year, no matter the weather. These new facilities helped more young people get into sports.

Almost a World Cup Debut in 2014

In 2014, Iceland came very close to qualifying for their first World Cup. They finished second in their group and went to a playoff against Croatia. After a 0–0 draw at home, they lost 2–0 away, missing out on the tournament.

Euro 2016: A Historic Run

Iceland made history in 2015 by qualifying for their first major tournament, UEFA Euro 2016. They finished second in their qualifying group, losing only two games. They even beat the Netherlands (who finished third in the 2014 World Cup) twice! During this time, they reached their highest FIFA ranking of 23rd.

At Euro 2016, Iceland was in a group with Portugal, Hungary, and Austria. They drew their first two games 1–1 against Portugal and Hungary. Then, they won 2–1 against Austria to move out of their group. In the Round of 16, Iceland caused a huge upset by beating England 2–1. This win was a big surprise for many! They were finally knocked out by the host nation, France, losing 5–2 in the quarter-finals.

2018 World Cup: Smallest Nation on the Big Stage

Iceland national football team World Cup 2018
World Cup team 2018

Iceland qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first-ever World Cup appearance, on October 9, 2017. They beat Kosovo 2–0 to secure their spot. This made them the country with the smallest population ever to reach the World Cup finals.

They were placed in a tough group with Croatia, Argentina, and Nigeria. Many called it the "group of death." Despite this, some journalists thought Iceland could do well because of their Euro 2016 performance. Their first World Cup match was against Argentina, who were runners-up in 2014. Iceland held them to an impressive 1–1 draw. However, they lost 2–0 to Nigeria and then 2–1 to Croatia. Iceland finished last in their group with one point.

Recent Challenges and Qualifiers

After their big successes, Iceland faced some tougher times. In the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, they lost all four of their games. They were supposed to be moved down to a lower league, but a rule change by UEFA kept them in League A.

For the Euro 2020 qualifiers, Iceland finished third in their group. They made it to the playoffs and beat Romania 2–1. In their final playoff game against Hungary, Iceland was leading 1–0 until the very end. But Hungary scored two quick goals in the last few minutes, winning 2–1 and qualifying instead of Iceland.

Iceland also had a difficult time in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, losing all their matches and being moved down to League B. Their coach resigned after this. The 2022 World Cup qualifiers also started poorly. Some off-field issues affected the team, leading to the absence of key players and changes in the Football Association. Iceland did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

The Euro 2024 qualifiers also had a rough start. After a series of poor results, the coach was replaced by Åge Hareide. Iceland showed some good moments, like a 7–0 win against Liechtenstein. They also had a strong performance against Portugal, but lost 1–0 to a late goal from Cristiano Ronaldo. Iceland finished 4th in their group. They made it to the play-offs thanks to their Nations League performance. In the semi-final, they beat Israel 4–1 with three goals from Albert Guðmundsson. However, they lost the final playoff match to Ukraine 2–1, missing out on Euro 2024.

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 away games. Their team badge shows special guardian spirits from Icelandic folklore: a giant, a dragon, a bull, and an eagle. This new badge was designed in 2020. Before that, they used a shield with the letters "KSI" (for the Football Association of Iceland) and colors from the Icelandic flag.

Icelandic fans became famous for their "Viking Thunder Clap" chant around 2016. This involves fans clapping their hands above their heads and shouting "huh!" to the beat of a drum. It became very popular during Euro 2016.

Kit Sponsors

The team's official uniforms are made by the German company Puma since 2020. Before that, other companies like Umbro, Adidas, 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–

Recent Games and Schedule

Main article: Iceland national football team results (2020–present)

Here are the results from the last 12 months and upcoming matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Upcoming 2025 Matches

Coaching Team

Here are the main people who coach and support the Iceland national football team:

Position Name
Head coach Norway Åge Hareide
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 on the Team

Current Squad Members

These players were chosen for the recent UEFA Nations League games in November 2024.

The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Wales.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Elías Rafn Ólafsson (2000-03-11) 11 March 2000 (age 25) 6 0 Denmark Midtjylland
12 1GK Hákon Valdimarsson (2001-10-13) 13 October 2001 (age 23) 17 0 England Brentford
13 1GK Lúkas Petersson (2004-01-09) 9 January 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Germany TSG Hoffenheim
2 2DF Alfons Sampsted (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 27) 23 0 England Birmingham City
3 2DF Valgeir Lunddal Friðriksson (2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23) 15 0 Germany Fortuna Düsseldorf
4 2DF Victor Pálsson (1991-04-30) 30 April 1991 (age 34) 47 2 England Plymouth Argyle
5 2DF Sverrir Ingi Ingason (1993-08-05) 5 August 1993 (age 31) 55 3 Greece Panathinaikos
6 2DF Rúnar Þór Sigurgeirsson (1999-12-28) 28 December 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Netherlands Willem II
14 2DF Dagur Dan Þórhallsson (2000-05-02) 2 May 2000 (age 25) 6 0 United States Orlando City
7 3MF Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson (vice-captain) (1990-10-27) 27 October 1990 (age 34) 99 8 Saudi Arabia Al-Orobah
10 3MF Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson (2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 22) 31 4 Germany Fortuna Düsseldorf
11 3MF Jón Dagur Þorsteinsson (1998-11-26) 26 November 1998 (age 26) 42 6 Germany Hertha Berlin
15 3MF Willum Þór Willumsson (1998-10-23) 23 October 1998 (age 26) 15 0 England Birmingham City
16 3MF Stefán Teitur Þórðarson (1998-10-16) 16 October 1998 (age 26) 26 1 England Preston North End
19 3MF Júlíus Magnússon (1998-06-28) 28 June 1998 (age 27) 5 0 Norway Fredrikstad
20 3MF Andri Baldursson (2002-01-10) 10 January 2002 (age 23) 10 0 Sweden Elfsborg
21 3MF Arnór Ingvi Traustason (1993-04-30) 30 April 1993 (age 32) 63 6 Sweden IFK Norrköping
23 3MF Mikael Egill Ellertsson (2002-03-11) 11 March 2002 (age 23) 19 1 Italy Venezia
8 4FW Brynjólfur Willumsson (2000-08-12) 12 August 2000 (age 24) 2 1 Netherlands Groningen
9 4FW Orri Óskarsson (2004-08-29) 29 August 2004 (age 20) 14 5 Spain Real Sociedad
18 4FW Sævar Atli Magnússon (2000-06-16) 16 June 2000 (age 25) 5 0 Denmark Lyngby
22 4FW Andri Guðjohnsen (2002-01-29) 29 January 2002 (age 23) 30 8 Belgium Gent

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been part of the Iceland squad in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Patrik Gunnarsson (2000-11-15) 15 November 2000 (age 24) 4 0 Belgium Kortrijk v.  Turkey, 14 October 2024
DF Aron Gunnarsson (captain) (1989-04-22) 22 April 1989 (age 36) 104 5 Qatar Al-Gharafa v.  Wales, 19 November 2024 INJ
DF Logi Tómasson (2000-09-13) 13 September 2000 (age 24) 7 1 Norway Strømsgodset v.  Wales, 19 November 2024 SUS
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 Daníel Leó Grétarsson (1995-10-02) 2 October 1995 (age 29) 22 0 Denmark Sønderjyske v.  Montenegro, 16 November 2024 INJ
DF Hjörtur Hermannsson (1995-02-08) 8 February 1995 (age 30) 29 1 Italy Carrarese 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
DF Guðmundur Þórarinsson (1992-04-15) 15 April 1992 (age 33) 15 0 Armenia Noah v.  Netherlands, 10 June 2024
DF Logi Hrafn Róbertsson (2004-07-22) 22 July 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Iceland FH v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024 INJ
MF Mikael Anderson (1998-07-01) 1 July 1998 (age 27) 31 2 Denmark AGF v.  Montenegro, 16 November 2024 INJ
MF Gylfi Sigurðsson (1989-09-08) 8 September 1989 (age 35) 83 27 Iceland Valur v.  Turkey, 14 October 2024
MF Arnór Sigurðsson (1999-05-15) 15 May 1999 (age 26) 34 2 England Blackburn Rovers v.  Turkey, 9 September 2024
MF Hákon Arnar Haraldsson (2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 22) 19 3 France Lille v.  Montenegro, 6 September 2024 INJ
MF Kristian Hlynsson (2004-01-23) 23 January 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Netherlands Ajax v.  Netherlands, 10 June 2024
MF Anton Logi Lúðvíksson (2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Norway Haugesund v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024
MF Kristall Máni Ingason (2002-01-18) 18 January 2002 (age 23) 6 0 Denmark Sønderjyske v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024
MF Birnir Snær Ingason (1996-12-04) 4 December 1996 (age 28) 1 0 Sweden Halmstad v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024
MF Kolbeinn Þórðarson (2000-03-12) 12 March 2000 (age 25) 3 0 Sweden IFK Göteborg v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024
MF Eggert Aron Guðmundsson (2004-02-08) 8 February 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Sweden Elfsborg v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024
FW Bjarki Steinn Bjarkason (2000-05-11) 11 May 2000 (age 25) 4 0 Italy Venezia v.  Netherlands, 10 June 2024
FW Albert Guðmundsson (1997-06-15) 15 June 1997 (age 28) 37 10 Italy Fiorentina v.  Ukraine, 26 March 2024
FW Alfreð Finnbogason (1989-02-01) 1 February 1989 (age 36) 73 18 Retired v.  Ukraine, 26 March 2024 RET
FW Jason Daði Svanþórsson (1999-12-31) 31 December 1999 (age 25) 5 0 England Grimsby Town v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024
FW Ísak Þorvaldsson (2001-05-01) 1 May 2001 (age 24) 6 1 Iceland Breiðablik v.  Honduras, 17 January 2024

INJ Player withdrew due to injury.
RET Player retired from the national team.
SUS Player is serving a suspension.
WD Player withdrew from the squad for other reasons.

.

Team Records

Here are some records for the Iceland national football team. Players in bold are still playing for Iceland.

Most Games Played (Caps)

Birkir Bjarnason 2018
Birkir Bjarnason is Iceland's all-time most capped player with 113 games played.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Birkir Bjarnason 113 15 2010–present
2 Rúnar Kristinsson 104 3 1987–2004
Aron Gunnarsson 104 5 2008–present
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 2010–2024
5 Ríkharður Jónsson 17 33 0.52 1947–1965
6 Birkir Bjarnason 15 113 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

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Main article: Iceland at the FIFA World Cup
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

Main article: Iceland at the UEFA European Championship
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 To be determined
Total 14 0 4 10 10 36 12th

Team Achievements

Regional Titles

Friendly Tournament Wins

  • Greenland Cup
    • Champions (2): 1980, 1984
  • China Cup
    • Second Place (1): 2017

FIFA Ranking Over Time

This table shows how Iceland's FIFA ranking has changed 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
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

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Iceland national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.