Iceland’s Long Trek to the World Cup – A Tale of the Nordic Nerve

Debkalpa Banerjee

28th June 2018 | 8:30 PM

Even with Iceland’s elimination from their maiden World Cup, their tale of fearless Viking vigour rising up from the ashes of past anonymity has been the talk of world football, very deservedly.

“An earthquake, 4.2 on Richter, shook the earth in Vatnajokull glacier last night. The might of the glacier continues to be felt and and there are indications that an eruption could come soon. A condition of uncertainty has been declared.”

— Narrator, Jökullinn Logar, directed by Saevar Gudmundsson

The 2016 documentary showcasing a little island’s unimaginable jaunt to reach the UEFA Euro 2016 finals drew parallels with the harsh climate and topography of the nation, very aptly named, Iceland. And why shouldn’t it? From the nation’s capital, Reykjavik to a small town with just 18,000 people in Akureyri, the scenario is the same —  snow-covered roads, uninhabitable stretches of land, fields of gravel and a constant windchill which sustains itself in single Fahrenheit digits for about three-fourths of a year.

The rumble caused by the daunting spirit of a meagre 330,000 people and just hundreds of footballing professionals in the summer of 2016 has maintained its aftershock, charting a course to the largest country in the world in order to participate in the largest arena of football, the FIFA World Cup, for the first time. This impending sense of eruption, even after their exit, associated with Iceland’s might and togetherness joins a narrative having a dentist, indoor stadiums, powerpoint presentations, the Eurovision Song Contest and a Viking Clap, still reverberating in many English ears, together.

The World Cup in Russia is in full swing, with own goals and screamers from outside of the box the usual protagonists. Amidst all of that though, disappointments have held a place of their own, most recently in Iceland’s defeat to a well-structured Croatia, who topped the group thanks to a well placed Ivan Perisic’s left-footed strike.

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