Iceland’s women senior national team returns to global action for just the third time as the team find themselves in the middle of their most successful international tournament qualification series.

Their world championship debut, at Brazil 2011, got off to a winning start as they saw off Montenegro (22:21) to get their maiden victory. Despite losses against Angola and Norway, wins against 2025 group opponents Germany and then China saw them into the round of 16 where they lost to Russia.

But then followed a 12-year wait until their second appearance, at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, which they qualified for thanks to a wildcard spot awarded by the IHF.

Losses against Slovenia and France meant they needed a win against Angola in their final group game to progress – but a 26:26 draw against Angola saw the African side progress and not the Europeans.

Iceland went through to the President’s Cup and won all four games (Greenland, Paraguay, China, Congo) to finish 25th out of 32 teams.

Their 2023 appearance was the start of Iceland women’s most successful qualification run as they followed it up with a European Championship appearance in 2024, where they again met Germany, losing 30:19, adding to their tight 27:25 defeat to Netherlands, a 27:24 win over Ukraine sandwiched in the middle, helped to ensure a 16th-place ranking.

A 70:48 (39:27, 31:21) aggregate win over Israel in Hafnarfjordur last April ensured world championship qualification and the Icelanders will look to qualify for their fourth, successive major competition when they take on Faroe Islands at home and Portugal away in October in their 2026 European Championship campaign – they played a friendly against Denmark a few weeks ahead of it to prepare, losing 39:23.

In Stuttgart, Iceland will face Germany, Iceland and Uruguay. Iceland also met Germany in the 2016 European Championship qualifiers but have yet to meet Uruguay or Serbia.

Coach Arnar Petursson has named a provisional squad of 35 players, including eight who play outside of the northern European nation, in Denmark, Spain, Sweden and Germany.

Of those, the most experienced is Valur right back Thea Sturludottir with 89 national games under her belt, followed by goalkeeper Hafdis Renotudottir (67), right back Birna Haraldsdottir (63), and the Germany-based pair of Andrea Jacobsen (64) who plays for HSG Blomberg-Lippe, and right wing Diana Magnusdottir (63) who plays for BSV Sachsen Zwickau.

All four have been named in the shortened 19-name squad which Petursson has chosen for the Faroe Islands and Portugal games.

Former player Petursson took charge of the national team in 2019 having enjoyed success at club level, including with his very first side – Icelandic men’s team IBV Vestmannaeyjar in 2013, winning the Icelandic Championship the following year and another one in 2018. 

Key players: Elin Thorkelsdottir (centre back), Thea Sturludottir (right back), Birna Haraldsdottir (right back), Diana Magnusdottir (right wing), Hafdis Renotudottir (goalkeeper)
Coach: Arnar Petursson
Qualification for Germany/Netherlands 2025: European Qualifiers – Phase 2: 70:48 on aggregate against Israel
History in tournament: 2011: 12th, 2023: 25th
Group at Germany/Netherlands 2025: Group C (Germany, Serbia, Iceland, Uruguay)