World Cup CHECK | Iceland – Small country with big football heroes

After the team coached by former dentist Heimir Hallgrimsson was only stopped in the European Championship quarter-finals in France two years ago, this success story will now be continued at the World Cup premiere in Russia.

Football fairy tale at EM 2016 At EURO 2016, the Icelanders caused a surprise in the opening game with a 1-1 draw against eventual European champions Portugal. This was followed by a 1-1 draw against Hungary and a 2-1 win over Austria. In the round of 2, playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson and Co. became giant-killers with a 1-2 win over former world champions England, before a 5-XNUMX win against hosts France ended the underdog's summer fairytale.

At the World Cup, there are once again tough challenges in Group D: In addition to title favorites Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi, the Icelanders also face the “Super Eagles” from Nigeria and the Croatians, who have already put Hallgrimsson's men in their place in qualifying. In the end, Iceland led Europe Group I ahead of Croatia, Ukraine and Turkey. Skulason: “We want big games” “I read in some foreign newspapers how unlucky we were with our World Cup group. But that's exactly what we want. We want these big games. We want to play against Argentina. “What a fantastic opponent for Iceland’s first ever World Cup game,” said midfielder Olafur Ingi Skulason, referring to the first match on June 16 in Moscow.

Even though Sigurdsson, who was signed by Everton for around 50 million euros, is by far their most expensive professional, the kickers from the North Atlantic do not live off a superstar. Hallgrimsson can rely on a squad made up almost entirely of legionnaires. Many of them earn their money in Scandinavia, but some have long since gained a foothold in the top European leagues. Consistent training This was made possible by a consistent approach to training. Youth coaches must all have a UEFA license in order to be able to work in the youth sector. That’s what they get paid for, without exception. In addition, there are investments in football halls so that work can be carried out all year round despite the inhospitable weather conditions. In 2002 there was only one of these in Iceland, but there are now seven with original playing fields. Artificial turf pitches were created in all major cities in the country.

The reward was participation in the U2011 European Championships for the first time in 21. The former players around Sigurdsson, captain Aron Einar Gunnarsson (Cardiff City) and Alfred Finnbogason (FC Augsburg) now also form the backbone of the senior national team, which has a unique team spirit. “We are simply unique as a group,” is Sigurdsson’s standard answer when asked about the secret of the Icelanders’ success, whose fans will now be singing their catchy “Huh” battle cry in Russia.

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World Cup CHECK | Iceland – Small country with big football heroes

Iceland has less than 350.000 inhabitants, making it by far the least populous country to have ever qualified for a World Cup.

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