How did Iceland become the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup?
By Josh Hill
Iceland is headed to the World Cup and Grant Wahl helps detail why they should be your new favorite.
The World Cup is right around the corner, and if you haven’t heard much about it you probably live in the United States. The USMNT didn’t qualify for the World Cup, but that doesn’t mean fans Stateside shouldn’t get invested. In fact, without a tribal representative in Russia, U.S. fans have even more reason to latch onto an underdog and ride into the night without a care.
That underdog is Iceland.
For 11 consecutive World Cup bids, Iceland failed to qualify. Not once in the history of the tournament has the country been able to punch through and represent its fans on a global stage. That all ended on the 13 try (Iceland failed to qualify in 1958 before simply not entering the following 3 World Cups). For the first time ever, Iceland will be fighting to be recognized as the best team in the world, but their journey is so much more than whatever ends up happening in Russia.
SI Senior Writer Grant Wahl went to Iceland and documented this journey in the film Exploring Planet Futbol: Iceland. Part travel doc, part exploration of Icelandic football culture, Wahl goes beyond just talking about what it’s like to literally be a supporter on your own island and becomes part of the experience.
Check out the trailer below:
SI TV, which is the latest arm to extend from the Sports Illustrated empire, produced the doc. That’s where you can send all the awards whenever we get around to handing them out because Exploring Planet Futbol is stunning.
If you’re looking to get invested in a team at the World Cup — and as American soccer fans you absolutely are — then this is the stepping stone you desire.
Check out Exploring Planet Futbol: Iceland on SI TV. It doesn’t even cost anything, as you can sign up for a free trial here.