Iceland become the smallest nation ever to clinch World Cup qualification

October 10, 2017
By: Milos Markovic

Iceland have extended their football dream by qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Following their remarkable Euro 2016 campaign the Icelanders have ditched the one-hit wonder labels with a sensational World Cup qualifying which saw them finish top of the Group I in front of the likes of Croatia, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland and Kosovo.

Iceland secured their automatic World Cup berth on Monday night thanks to a 2-0 win over rock-bottom Kosovo. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Johann Gudmundsson got their names on the scoresheet to send the entire nation into a frenzy over the historic achievement.

The result saw them make history by becoming the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup final showpiece.

The Euro 2016 quarter-finalists boast a population of around 335,000 people. Iceland are now the only country with fewer than one million inhabitants to qualify for the World Cup.

The previous smallest country to have reached a World Cup was Trinidad and Tobago in 2006, with 1.3 million people.

Iceland celebrated the World Cup qualification with a fireworks display after the match against Kosovo and with their trademark Viking clap which will be heard in Russia next summer.

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