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By:
Arsim Magjera
- March 18 2025 17: 24
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Iceland and Kosovo faced each other on October 9, 2017 in Reykjavik. The match was played in front of 9.775 spectators, with Iceland winning 2:0 with goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Johan Gudmundsson.
For Kosovo, it was another defeat in their first qualifying round. For Iceland, it was a historic result. With the victory, Iceland became the country with the smallest population to qualify for the World Cup.
Iceland won Group I of the qualifiers, which was very strong. They collected 22 points, two more than Croatia, which in the meantime reached the final at the World Cup "Russia 2018". Below in the ranking were Ukraine, Turkey, Finland and Kosovo.
When Iceland qualified for the World Cup, it was estimated to have a population of 335. The previous record holder was Trinidad & Tobago with 1.3 million inhabitants.
At the World Cup in Russia, Iceland was in a very challenging group. They drew 1-1 with Lionel Messi's Argentina on June 16, 2018. They then lost 2-0 to Nigeria and 2-1 to Croatia, who scored the winning goal in the 90th minute. They did not advance past the group, but their performance at "Russia 2018" remains historic.
Regarding the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Iceland defeated Kosovo 2:1 at "Loro Boriçi" in Shkodër, on March 24, 2017. Atdhe Nuhiu, now assistant coach of Kosovo, scored the goal.
The paths of Kosovo and Iceland cross again.
On Thursday, from 20:45, the Kosovo - Iceland match will be held at "Fadil Vokrri". On Sunday, the two teams will face each other in Murcia, Spain, as Iceland's stadium in Reykjavik is not ready.
The matches belong to the Nations League playoffs, namely League B. Iceland was in League B, while Kosovo was in League C, which for the first time aims to move to B.
Iceland has not qualified for the World Cup, so “Russia 2018” remains the highlight for this team. The Icelanders also appeared in the 2016 European Championship, where they reached the quarterfinals. The hard work on the field of play and the passion to represent their country as best as possible have characterized the Icelanders. They are not outstanding and are not known for their playing technique. But they stand out as great fighters who do not stop until the end.
"The passion and maximum dedication of the players has made us known all over the world. The fighting spirit and team spirit are still present with us. Our national team has maintained its main strengths, although the group of players changes and the team evolves, just like in any other national team", Iceland coach Arnar Gunnlaugsson told TIME.
All of Iceland's players are playing for European clubs. The new captain is 20-year-old Real Sociedad striker Orri Oskarsson. Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, Edon Zhegrova's teammate at Lille, is the vice-captain.
Iceland has players in top European leagues, but not in the main teams. Three players from the current Iceland team featured in that historic match against Kosovo: Aron Einar Gunnarsson, Arnor Ingvi Traustason and Sverrir Ingi Ingvason.
In Kosovo, Amir Rrahmani, Milot Rashica, Mërgim Vojvoda, Valon Berisha and Leart Paqarada were the starting players. Vedat Muriqi was also active, while Fidan Aliti and Visar Bekaj were on the bench.
