Iceland has been discovered twice. The first time was in the ninth century by Norwegian colonisers, and the second time during Euro 2016.
That summer, in France, the world discovered Icelandic football through its national team.
Qualifying for the first-ever major international tournament in its history, the team dazzled with its bravery, and its fans with their bonhomie.
Nine years later, the Iceland national football team has returned to a kind of normalcy, and the Icelandic championship, the Besta deild karla, still languishes in anonymity. But never mind the condescending gaze of foreign observers; the important thing lies elsewhere.
Reykjavik: The Beating Heart of Icelandic Football
Just 250 kilometres from the Arctic Circle, Reykjavik is the epicentre of the Besta deild karla.
Three-quarters of the league’s clubs are concentrated within a 20-kilometre radius of the capital, as the crow flies.
This seemingly excessive density reflects the population concentration of the Reykjavik metropolitan area, which is home to two-thirds of Iceland’s population.
Víkingur Reykjavik: A Club With Ambition
At the top of Iceland’s top flight since 2021, alongside Breiðablik, Víkingur Reykjavik aims to establish itself as a leading figure.
Víkingur Reykjavik begins the 2025 edition of the Besta deild karla with the league title as its sole ambition. I
In this quest, the sporting aspect is obviously essential, but the human aspect is often the key factor. And the Reykvíkingar have plenty of humanity.
Matchday at the Víkingsvöllur
As a freezing sun shines on the Víkingsvöllur, Víkingur’s most passionate supporters gather at the centre of the stadium’s only stand.
Accompanied by a giant teddy bear proudly wearing the club’s jersey and scarf, they sing songs borrowed from British terraces and adapted with a Víkingur twist.
To the rhythm of the drum, the local players thrash Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar, a club from the north of the island. But once again, the important thing lies elsewhere.
More Than a Game
The important thing is unity, brotherhood, and the desire to share emotions with strangers from all walks of life who live and breathe for the same club.
ALL WORDS AND IMAGES BY THE BRILLIANT GUIREC MUNIER
You can see Guirec’s work on Argentina in Brittany here, as well as his piece on New York Football Club, The Twilight of Janstadion and Heart of Midlothian.
