Which two teams finished Euro 2022 undefeated? While England’s victorious streak is well-known, there was another nation that also earned this impressive distinction. When West Ham United’s Dagný Brynjarsdóttir converted her penalty in the 90+12th minute against France, it not only salvaged a last gasp draw against one of the tournament favourites, but it also ensured Iceland would exit the tournament undefeated, thanks to two previous 1-1 draws against Belgium and Italy in the Group Stage.
It would be easy to dismiss Iceland as nothing more than a ‘plucky underdog’ going into Euro 2025, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that you should underestimate them at your peril. Iceland first arrived at the Euros in 2009, and since then have only won one game. The win in question, however, came in 2013 against the Netherlands, against a side featuring Sherida Spitse, Renée Slegers, Daniëlle van de Donk and Lieke Martens. Brynjarsdóttir was once again the Icelandic hero, scoring the solitary goal in a 1-0 win, a victory that saw them qualify from the group stages for the first time, where they were unfortunately defeated by Sweden 4-0 in the quarter finals.
That sentiment extends to their path to Switzerland itself. In a group containing Poland, Austria and Euro 2022 finalists Germany, it was Iceland who sealed direct qualification with room to spare. A perfect winning home record, including an impressive 3-0 triumph over Germany, saw the Stelpurnar okkar comfortably finish second in their group, well clear of the chasing pack.
In recent years, Iceland have evolved into a growing force in European football, as evidenced by their talent, spread across the continent. In the WSL, Dagný Brynjarsdóttir is well known to those who frequent the Chigwell Construction Stadium, and Hlín Eiríksdóttir became a new addition at Leicester City earlier this year. Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir captains current Frauen-Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, and those of an Arsenal persuasion will recall the aerial threat she can offer after their 5-2 hammering in Bavaria. Until this summer, Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir provided Wolfsburg with a potent threat up front, a talent for goals which has since crossed over the Atlantic Ocean to the NWSL with Angel City FC. A lot of this talent can be traced back to the great Swedish breading ground of future stars, the Damallsvenskan. And young this Icelandic side is, with 14 out of the 23-player squad aged 25 and under, and Brynjarsdóttir representing the greatest experience in the team at the age of just 33.
Iceland will be coming into Euro 2025 with hopes of building upon their strong showing in the North of England three years ago. But since their last qualifier, a 1-0 win away in Poland, their form has collapsed, having failed to win any of their last 10 international fixtures. That being said, they have at least been fortunate with the tournament draw. In a group containing Finland, Norway and hosts Switzerland, Iceland have avoided a lot of the big hitters.
If they can rediscover the strong qualification form that got them to Switzerland, they have as good a chance of any of getting out of the group for the second time in their history, and bruising a few of the bigger egos once again.
