Iceland confirms ‘size’ barely matters in football

A very small country had once made it to the World Cup – that was Trinidad and Tobago, which had a population of slightly over a million. Iceland, in comparison, has just a little more than 300,000 people, making the other country look a giant in relative terms. For Iceland to reach the final stage of football’s biggest tournament with a squad that is cheaper than what each of Neymar, Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and some others are worth is an extraordinary feat.
Imagine Chai Nat, or Mukdahan, or Mae Hong Son – in terms of population numbers – managing to send their football team to the World Cup finals. It was grit more than anything else that led Iceland to the unique achievement of being the smallest country ever to have reached the final stages of the World Cup.
Iceland beat England in the last European Championship, arguably football’s second most popular international tournament. Many considered it a fluke at that time, but by qualifying for the finals last week, this tiny nation has shown it is made of sterner stuff. This spectacular feat has been achieved without any superstar; with players who pit their skills for second- or third-string European teams fighting for their teammates and the national team logo, and nothing else.
If anything, Iceland’s success is a reminder that football is a team game, and where there is grit, “size” does not really matter. Smaller countries like the Netherlands or Japan have made a mockery of huge countries like China, India and Russia. Big countries or big clubs may have the advantage of strength in depth, but this should not take anything away from such countries as Denmark, which stunned the world in the European Championship final in 1992, or such clubs as Leicester City which won the English Premiership a couple of years ago against all odds.
Football is the world’s single biggest sport, and one of the primary reasons has to do with the uniqueness related to its success. Unlike golf, rich countries are not always good at football; Cameroon for instance is held in higher regard than, say, Canada. Ideologically driven nations like China, which is good at many other sports, and North Korea are not necessarily better than the likes of Switzerland. Star-studded teams can be beaten by modest teams, like when Iceland knocked England out of the last European Championship and when Leicester City shocked the world two years ago.
Iceland’s name is linked unfavourably with the financial crisis of 2008 that dragged on for a few years. It is intriguing that when it comes to depending on external factors, Iceland does not do too well, but when it comes to relying on its own strength in the world’s most popular sport, the country is second to none.
The country will now come up against the football world’s real heavyweights in Russia next year. Germany, Brazil, Spain and the others are all waiting. Experts cannot see another fairy-tale at the prestigious tournament, which has been monopolised by football superpowers and where upsets have been an exception. David slaying Goliath never occurs as far as lifting the World Cup is concerned.
But the “small peoples” will keep pushing the limits. Besides Iceland and Trinidad and Tobago, there has been Northern Ireland, with a population of 1.85 million, Slovenia (2.08 million), Jamaica (2.89 million) and Wales (3.1 million). To them, the ultimate dream may be far from a reality, but every time they manage to give it a try, it’s inspiring.