Iceland becomes smallest nation in World Cup history
The Viking Clap will be making an appearance in Russia.
Courtesy of Gylfi Sigurdsson's goal five minutes before the interval Monday against Kosovo, Iceland has booked its first World Cup appearance, becoming the smallest nation to participate in the quadrennial contest.
Primer Tiempo⏱ 🇮🇸 Islandia 1-0 Kosovo🇽🇰
— desdelabandaoficial (@desdelabandaofi) October 9, 2017
⚽️ Sigurdsson 40'
Con este resultado Islandia se clasifica a #Russia2018WC! #Mundial2018 #Islandia pic.twitter.com/2VTXzXufZz
That's now two consecutive major tournaments for the postage stamp-sized nation after a successful Euro 2016 saw Heimir Hallgrimson's charges shame England in the knockout stage before bowing out to host France in the quarter-finals.
The nordic island finishes top of Group I on 22 points with seven wins in 10 qualifying matches, and with just 334,000 people, becomes the smallest nation to compete in a World Cup by a million people, a record previously held by Trinidad & Tobago's 2006 entry.
Iceland, population 334,000, become the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup - and the only one with fewer than 1m people. pic.twitter.com/vTZTxl532n
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) October 9, 2017
After talismanic leader Sigurdsson gifted his lot a first-half advantage, Burnley midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson put the tilt out of reach with a 68th-minute tally to ensure a maiden voyage in international waters a year from now in Russia.