England vs Iceland

Wembley Stadium forms the backdrop for England’s final warm-up fixture ahead of the 2024 European Championship as they take on out-of-sorts Iceland.

Gareth Southgate’s experimental line-up couldn’t find the net in the first half but still thumped Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-0 in their first June friendly to arrest their longest winless streak since September 2022 (D2, L1). Iceland will provide the Three Lions with their final test ahead of Euro 2024, which they are the leading candidates to win, and finally wrap their hands around the most coveted continental trophy. With Jude Bellingham expected to join the fold after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, England’s bid to strengthen their near-flawless H2H record against Iceland (W3, L1) will receive a boost. Since Southgate’s side steamrolled to an overwhelming 4-0 victory the last time the two teams met on English soil in 2020, England will carry a feel-good factor into this fixture.

As for Iceland, a 2-1 loss to Ukraine in the Euro 2024 playoffs final denied them a last chance to compete in Germany following an underwhelming fourth-placed finish in qualifying Group J. Indeed, the visitors only won three of their ten Euro 2024 qualifiers (D1, L6), losing the last two by a two-goal margin. With Genoa talisman Albert Gudmundsson sidelined for this contest amid an ongoing court process against him, Iceland’s hopes of shining in their first game since March are slim. However, manager Age Hareide will seek a positive result after overseeing three wins in Iceland’s last four outings on foreign soil (L1), though none of those triumphs came against a side of England’s stature.