A country with a population of just 300,000 has claimed a historic point against European powerhouses Portugal, a nation 34 times their size.
In fact, 8% of Iceland’s population was in the stands at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint Etienne and did they make some noise.
After a sluggish start in the first-half with Portugal controlling every aspect of the match and leading 1-0 thanks to Nani’s opener, Iceland made history in the 50th minute.
Birkir Bjarnason became the first Icelandic player to score at a major international tournament when he nodded home a delightful early cross from Johann Gudmundsson to equalise at 1-1 – a watershed moment for Iceland football.
Despite being well-beaten and dominated in the first-half by Portugal, Iceland came out to play in the second-half and had a glint in their eyes to achieve something extraordinary.
And they did just that, sealing a point as they resolutely held a frustrated Portugal at bay to claim a 1-1 result.
Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson was classy in the post-match press conference, praising Portugal before remaining level-headed despite the result.
“We always knew about how good Portugal are. We want to start to respect them before we talk about ourselves. We have to show them the respect they deserve,” he said.
“They had the ball a lot more and it is difficult to play against them. They have one of the best teams and they will probably go far this tournament.”
“Our defending was fantastic. We were really organised and worked really hard. It was a total team victory tonight. It’s difficult to single out one player.”
The result puts Iceland in a good position ahead of the match against surprising group leaders Hungary on Saturday, and Hallgrímsson says his side can now “relax” but paid special mention to the fans for helping the team.
“I don’t think that the other game affects us so much. It’s really good to have a point. We can go a little more relaxed into the next match. With a win against Hungary, we are almost there,” he said.
“This is the first time we’ve played on a big stage like this. It was so fantastic to play here because it was like our home. It was just like playing at home. The Icelandic players were fantastic. When we got tired, the fans cheered them on.”
The unexpected draw follows today’s surprising result in Group F, with 400-to-1 tournament outsiders Hungary beating Austria 2-0.
Portugal would be bitterly disappointed and the final few minutes of the match summed up the evening for them.
Cristiano Ronaldo had two set-piece chances at goal which he smashed into the wall.
As the full-time whistle blew, a frustrated Ronaldo reportedly failed to shake any of the Iceland player’s hands.
Asked about his thoughts on the incident, Hallgrímsson did not deny it but said, “he can choose what he does after the game, it’s nothing we are bothered about. We’re just happy we have a point.”
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