Iceland national handball team

The Icelandic men's handball team represents Iceland in international tournaments in men's handball.

Handball is next to football the most popular sport in Iceland. Since the 1980s, the men's national team is among the best handball nations.

For the first time Iceland reached the semi-finals of an international championship in the Olympic tournament in 1992., Where they lost to the United team of the countries of the former Soviet Union with 20:22. The match for the bronze medal was lost to France with 20:24.

At the Olympic Games in Beijing, Iceland won the place in the final after a 36:30 against Spain on 22 August 2008 the greatest success in the sports history of the country. In the final game on August 24, the team defeated France 23:28. A few minutes after the final whistle of the Icelandic President announced a public holiday, so that all Icelanders got off work. In the following qualifying for the World Handball Championship 2009 Iceland failed unexpectedly of Macedonia.

Another semi-finals succeeded at the European Championships 2010., Where the team lost again against France, but then took a 29:26 victory over Poland the bronze medal.

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London Iceland reached as a group first without loss point to the final round, but lost the quarter-final against Hungary with almost 33:34. Following the tournament Guðmundur Guðmundsson finished his work as a coach. His successor was Aron Kristjánsson.

Participation in Championships (Hall )

Olympic games

• Olympic Games 1972: 12th Place
• Olympic Games 1984: 6th place
• Olympic Games 1988: 8th Place
• Olympic Games 1992: 4th place
• Olympic Games 2004: 9th place
• Olympic Games 2008: 2nd place (France - Iceland 28:23 on August 24, 2008)
• Olympic Games 2012: Quarter-Finals

Handball World Cup

• World Cup 1954: not participated or not qualified
• World Cup 1958: not participated or not qualified
• World Cup 1961: 6th place
• World Cup 1964: eliminated in the preliminary round
• World Cup 1967: not qualified
• World Cup 1970: 11th place
• World Cup 1974: eliminated in the preliminary round
• World Cup 1978: eliminated in the preliminary round
• World Cup 1982: not qualified
• World Cup 1986: 6th place
• World Cup 1990: 10th place
• World Cup 1993: 8th Place
• World Cup 1995: 14th Place
• World Cup 1997: 5th Place
• World Cup 1999: not qualified
• World Cup 2001: 11th Place
• World Cup 2003: 7th place
• World Cup 2005: 15th Place
• World Cup 2007: 8th Place
• World Cup 2009: not qualified
• World Cup 2011: 6th place
• World Cup 2013: 10th Place

European Handball Championship

• European Championships 1994: not qualified
• European Championships 1996: not qualified
• European Championships 1998: not qualified
• Euro 2000: 11th place
• European Championship 2002: 4th place
• Euro 2004: 13th Place
• European Championships 2006: 7th place
• Euro 2008: 11th place
• European Championships 2010: 3rd place
• Euro 2012: 10th place
• European Championship 2014: 5th Place

Current squad

As of December 17, 2013 (Extended EM -Kader 2014)

Well-known former national player

• Alfreð Gíslason
• Dagur Sigurdsson
• Guðmundur Hrafnkelsson
• Ólafur Stefánsson
• Valdimar Grimsson