Euro 2025: Iceland team guide – tactical coaching and Champions League experience give an edge
Iceland's women's national team has been a regular at the European Championship since 2009. Their best finish was a successful quarter-final run in 2013.
In its most recent showing at Euro 2022 in England, Iceland failed to make it out of the group after drawing all three games. Despite also not qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, they still rank 14th in the world as of June. The (Our Girls) are entering the Euros in Group A with Norway, Finland and Switzerland.
Who is the manager?
Thorsteinn Halldórsson has been in charge of the Iceland national team since 2021. The team extended the 57-year-old's contract through 2026, with clauses involving the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
Advertisement
Halldórsson is experienced in domestic Icelandic men's and women's soccer leagues, having coached a variety of local clubs since 1994 before taking the national team job. He won the Icelandic Championship three times with Breidablik women's team and took the side to the last 16 of the Champions League in 2019.
In Euro 2025 qualifying, his Iceland side defeated Germany (3-0) and Poland (3-0), and he is a tactical coach with an emphasis on mental resilience and structure. Before he started coaching, he made more than 150 appearances as a defender in Iceland's top flight.
How do they play?
Halldórsson typically lines up in a 4-3-3 that suits Iceland's direct, pragmatic style. Long balls through the middle allow their midfield trio to converge, win possession and reset the attack. In the final third, they rely on wide players to deliver cutbacks or crosses aimed at late-arriving runners just inside the box.
Advertisement
Their long throw-ins are a weapon, disruptive, hard to defend, and often unexpected. It's a safety-first setup: even in transition, they wait for support before committing forward. It's simple but can be effective with a squad that includes Champions League-level talent. They've struggled to score recently, including five scoreless matches in the last eight.
Who are their three most influential players?
Iceland's captain, Glódís Viggósdóttir, earned her first career trophy two years ago, winning the 2022-23 Frauen Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. The centre-back has since won two more league titles with the German club. She also made history as the first Icelandic player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin.
Forward Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir, who signed with NWSL's Angel City FC last month through 2027, is another key player. The 23-year-old was previously with Wolfsburg in Germany, where she scored 22 goals and recorded 16 assists in 93 competitions over four seasons. Wolfsburg were Champions League finalists in 2023, falling to Barcelona 3-2.
Advertisement
Another player to watch out for is Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, who is an experienced midfielder with more than 100 caps. Ever-present and gutsy, she helped Iceland into the Euro 2013 quarter-finals while nursing a broken foot.
What is their biggest strength?
Iceland's defense is compact, physical, and aerially dominant, both in open play and set pieces. However, they have only kept three clean sheets in their last 10 matches. At the same time, their counterattack, fueled by midfield grit, is capable of winning turnovers and scoring quick opportunities, as they showed against Germany in the qualifiers.
What weakness might other teams be able to exploit?
Iceland relies heavily on playing direct. When opponents control the midfield, press high and cut off those vertical routes, Iceland struggles to progress the ball or retain meaningful possession. They can be pinned back, forced into deeper positions and cut off from creative outlets.
Advertisement
If anything, over-reliance on Brynjarsdóttir for durability could be a concern late in the tournament. She's crucial for leadership and box-to-box play, but she's 32 years old with a heavy cap load. If she fades or is marked out, Iceland's spine weakens significantly.
Any notable absentees?
No major injuries have been reported recently and the squad that featured in the May/June 2025 Nations League is expected to arrive in Switzerland at full strength.
What is their strongest starting XI?
How have they performed over the past 12 months?
Iceland beat Poland (3‑0) and Germany (3‑0) in Euro 2025 qualifying, but drew 1‑1 in key away matches. They battled through a 0‑0 draw with Switzerland and Norway in the Nations League and lost 3-1 twice in two friendlies with the U.S. last October. Their friendly against France was a close one, but they did not close the gap and lost 3-2.
What are they expected to achieve at these Euros?
Iceland are in Group A with Switzerland, Finland, and Norway. They are the highest-rated team, but will face hosts Switzerland and their Scandinavian neighbors Norway, who have more standout pieces. Finland may be their best chance. A win over Finland seems likely, a draw with Norway is realistic, and aiming for an upset over Switzerland is possible.
Advertisement
If everything goes according to plan, they could easily reach the quarter-finals. Unlike the team in 2022 (0 points, 3 draws), they have a stronger squad. They just need composure in tight finishes.
Did you know?
This marks Iceland's fifth consecutive appearance at the Euros, a testament to their consistency in continental play. In qualifying, they made history as the first team to defeat Germany by a three-goal margin in a competitive match since Brazil's 2008 Olympic semifinal triumph. Despite their progress, Iceland has never qualified for a Women's World Cup.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Iceland, UK Women's Football, Women's Euros
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Celtic agree fee and contract for Nygren'
Celtic have agreed a £1.28m fee to sign Sweden forward Benjamin Nygren from Nordsaelland, with the 23-year-old signing a contract until June 2029 plus an option until 2030. (Fabrizio Romano on X) Celtic are among several overseas clubs looking closely at 25-year-old £1.5m-rated Kawasaki Frontale striker Shin Yamada. (Scottish Sun On Sunday) Advertisement PSV Eindhoven are now ahead of Celtic and Lille in the queue to sign Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter, with the 21-year-old's asking price having risen to £11m compared to the £7m mentioned when the Scottish champions were first linked with him in January. (TV Sport 2 via The Herald On Sunday) Any move by RB Leipzig for 25-year-old Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn is likely to be held up until the German club appoint a new head coach. (Merkur) Birmingham City are just one of a string enquiries to be made about former Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi, with Rennes preferring a permanent exit for the 30-year-old, although they may be willing to green light a temporary one. (L'Equipe via The Herald On Sunday) Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons has agreed to move to Rangers on loan, with both clubs having signed all the documents and with formal steps to follow for the 25-year-old. (Fabrizio Romano on X) Advertisement Max Aarons rejected approaches from Burnley and Leeds United, along with a host of Championship clubs, before agreeing to join Rangers on loan from Bournemouth. (The Boot Room) It was said on ERA sport that Rangers, AEK Athens and Cyriel Dessers have reached a full agreement for the 30-year-old striker to complete a transfer to the Greek club. (AEK Guy on X) Rangers are determined on keeping 22-year-old forward Hamza Igamane at the club beyond the summer transfer window despite interest from Everton and West Ham United. (Football Insider) Rangers could miss out on striker Dor Turgeman because Maccabi Tel Aviv may be reluctant to sell the 21-year-old, or will significantly raise the asking price, because of fears the rising conflict in the Middle East will make it more difficult for them to attract a replacement signing. (Sport 5 via Glasgow Times) Advertisement Luka Jelenic has attracted interest from Rangers and Vitoria Guimaraes and Rangers, but there are no official offers yet for the 25-year-old centre-half who Osijek bought for £685,000 last season from Varazdin. (24sata via Croatian Football on X) Ianis Hagi, who has been linked with Genoa and Borussia Monchengladbach, has confirmed he is in talks with Polish club Legia Warsaw following the 26-year-old Romania midfielder's release by Rangers. (The National On Sunday) Wrexham and Stockport County are interested in Tom Lawrence following the 31-year-old midfielder's release by Rangers. (Sky Sports) Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal made an enquiry for Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, but the Italian champions did not even discuss a deal as they have no intention of selling the 28-year-old Scotland international. (Football Italia) Advertisement Dundee United are keen on a loan move for Toulouse striker Said Hamulic, once a transfer target for Celtic, talks have advanced well in recent days and the 24-year-old could arrive in Scotland as soon as this week. (The Courier) Hibernian head coach David Gray says talks to sign Sunderland midfielder Nectatrios Triantis on a permanent deal are progressing well following the 22-year-old Australian's loan last season. (Sky Sports via Daily Record) Kevin Nisbet, who was on loan to Aberdeen from Millwall last season, is not a target for Heart of Midlothian, with head coach Derek McInnes hopeful of convincing fellow Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland to stay at Tynecastle Park. (Hearts Standard) Nicolas Milanovic rejected offers from a number of European clubs before signing for Aberdeen and the striker has the weapons to take the Scottish Premiership and European group stage football by storm, according to Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic, whose club sold the 23-year-old for a fee of around £400,000. (Press & Journal) Advertisement Josh Rae, the 24-year-old goalkeeper who has joined Raith Rovers permanently from St Johnstone, has revealed he rejected a move to Atletico Madrid at the age of 13. (The Courier) St Johnstone owner Adam Webb believes the summer planning at McDiarmid Park has been "night and day" in comparison to when he walked in the door 12 months ago, when recruitment mistakes were made. (The Courier)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
€50m Liverpool striker deal moves CLOSER
Liverpool have got major plans to upgrade their attack in this current transfer window. Florian Wirtz is on board as the most expensive signing in British football history - £100m rising to £116m - but the Reds won't stop there. Sporting director Richard Hughes has also got his eye on a new centre-forward - with neither Darwin Nunez nor Diogo Jota managing to convince Arne Slot last season. Advertisement Alexander Isak and Victor Osimhen are two of the biggest names in the frame. Isak, 25, could be made available by Newcastle as they seek funds to overhaul their squad while Osimhen is destined to leave Napoli this summer with only one year left on his deal. The issue for the Reds is they are governed by FSG - who tend to operate on a one-in, one-out basis. The ownership group is not simply going to lavish this squad with signings and so room in the budget will need to be made through sales. Napoli close in on Nunez deal Jota, out of contract in 2027, has been linked with Newcastle as well as teams in Saudi Arabia. But one forward who looks absolutely nailed on to leave right now is Darwin Nunez. Advertisement The 25-year-old endured a poor campaign on a personal level, scoring only five Premier League goals, and has been earmarked for the exit. He has already declined a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, believing his future lies in Europe. And Nunez could be about to get his wish as Liverpool and Napoli draw closer to a transfer deal for the No9. According to Alfredo Pedulla, the renowned transfer journalist, Napoli have put €42m to €43m on the table for Nunez - edging closer to an acceptable deal for the Reds. © IMAGO - Darwin Nunez Liverpool Anfield 2024-25 Liverpool want just €50m for Nunez Having previously valued Nunez around the €75m mark, it now looks likely that the club would settle for around €50m plus bonuses. Advertisement 'Liverpool would be satisfied with even 50 plus bonuses, Napoli has already risen to 42-43 and intends to insist on playing early in order to avoid any possible insertions by the competition,' a report from Pedulla reads. Napoli are seeking to tie this one up quickly for Nunez, whose Liverpool contract expires in 2028. Liverpool can then move on with transfer plans for Osimhen - in a deal that is likely to be independent of the move for Nunez - or else look again at Isak.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trabzonspor submit offer for Rennes' Christopher Wooh
According to a report from L'Équipe, Trabzonspor have submitted an offer to Stade Rennais to sign Christopher Wooh (23) during the summer transfer window. The Ligue 1 club have received an offer in the region of €5m for the defender, sources close to Les Rouges et Noir understand. Wooh was a regular for Rennes last season. The 23-year-old featured 21 times for the Breton club, and these performances have generated interest from the Turkish Super League for his services in the summer window. Despite interest in his services, it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman would be receptive to a potential move to Trabzonspor. Advertisement In addition to the question of Wooh's interest, Rennes' stance on a potential transfer remains unknown. Les Rouges et Noir have already secured one reinforcement for their defensive roster this summer with the permanent arrival of Lillian Brassier following his loan spell at Roahzon Park from Marseille. GFFN | Liam Wraith
