Why you should watch every team at the 2018 World Cup

13 of 32

HARRISON, NJ – MARCH 27: Christian Cueva #8 of Peru fights for the ball with Hjörtur Hermannsson #26 of Iceland during their friendly match at Red Bull Arena on March 27, 2018 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

Iceland

After never coming close to qualifying for a major tournament, Iceland came out of nowhere to not only qualify for the 2016 Euros, but beat England in the round of 16 and run all the way to the quarterfinal. They were the talk of the world; the viking clap became a fad among supporters´ groups across continents, and Iceland’s sudden emergence amazed the soccer world.

They proved that performance was not a fluke by also qualifying for their first World Cup, beating out the likes of Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine and geographic rival Finland for first place in a deceivingly difficult Group I of UEFA qualifying. Their players are not household names or even stars, but they have a unique ability to step up in big international moments.

The world will be rooting for them in Group D, which they share with Argentina (what a matchup: Messi vs. Iceland), Croatia and Nigeria. We’ll see if they give us another unforgettable display in Russia.

Home/World Cup