When Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed Iceland as a country with a “small mentality” following their opening 1-1 draw at Euro 2016, he couldn’t have possibly predicted that Portugal would need to look up the final Group F standings to find them.
Iceland, a country with a population of just over 300,000, have finished second in the group, behind only Hungary, following their spirited 2-1 victory over Austria. The defeat eliminated Austria from the tournament and consigned Portugal to a third-placed finish.
In an already remarkable tournament that has seen Wales top their group and Northern Ireland advance to the Round of 16, Group F has been the most unpredictable of the bunch.
Iceland’s 94th-minute winner, netted with the last touch of the match, sent the crowd into raptures and ensured the Nordic island country a Round of 16 match against England in Nice.
Had they failed to score that goal, they would’ve finished third and played Croatia in Lens, a match which Portugal must now entertain.
It’s anyone’s guess as to which is the more favorable matchup, but Iceland will be delighted to have finished the group stage of their international tournament bow with a victory and without a defeat.
That, coupled with the fact that they've finished above Ronaldo’s Portugal, is worth celebrating “like they had won the Euro cup or something.”
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