Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson fired in a 12th minute winner as Iceland stunned England 1-0 in a friendly win at Wembley Stadium, London.
Thorsteinsson fired Iceland in front from Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s pass on a quick 12th minute counter-attack, in what proved to be the winning goal.
England enjoyed several attacking opportunities but lacked the end product to score, with Cole Palmer having wasted most of their best chances upon goal.
Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions will now prepare for their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday 16 June in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, at 9pm CEST (8pm UK Time).
With England’s 26-man squad for the Euros now official, this match offered a first glimpse at the potential starting 11 for their opening group match against Serbia but their end product issues from the win over Bosnia & Herzegovina in Newcastle soon crept in.
Palmer and Harry Kane – who both scored on Tyneside – combined in the third minute but Kane’s shot was blocked by an Icelandic defender.
Iceland meanwhile resiliently defended deep and won a rare counter-attack in the 12th minute which was fed by Haraldsson to Thorsteinsson, who found space to duly cut in and rifle a low shot in under Aaron Ramsdale to put Iceland into a shock lead.
England attempted to respond but Hakon Valdimarsson blocked Palmer’s 17th minute shot then saved Phil Foden’s flicked effort four minutes later.
Kane missed a huge chance to level in the 28th minute after he got a touch on Palmer’s curled shot but volleyed over the bar from close-range.
Iceland ultimately proved incredibly difficult to break down across both flanks and middle and despite winning various corners, England couldn’t beat Valdimarsson as the visitors protected their lead into half-time.
Southgate opted to make a change at half-time in defence as Ezri Konsa replaced John Stones who had picked up a knock.
Up front, England started the second-half brightly but Foden flicked Anthony Gordon’s 49th minute cutback pass wide of the far right corner.
Kane and Palmer then combined twice in the space of two minutes but the latter twice fired wide in further frustrations for England.
Iceland meanwhile didn’t receive many attacking opportunities until Arnor Ingvi Traustason broke forward in the 63rd minute, and found Thorsteinsson who scruffed his shot unmarked in a huge let-off for England.
Ramsdale further spared England’s blushes 13 minutes later as he punched Kolbeinn Finnsson’s lobbed volley behind, just as it began to dink towards the roof of the net.
Southgate’s Three Lions eventually couldn’t find an equaliser which meant that they suffered a first home loss to Iceland in all competitions.
The result meant that England suffered a first defeat in a final warm-up friendly before a major tournament for the first time since 1968, when they lost 1-0 to West Germany ahead of that summer’s four-team Euros where they lost to Yugoslavia in the semi-finals.
Teams
England – Aaron Ramsdale, Kyle Walker (Alexander-Arnold 64′), John Stones (Konsa 46′), Marc Guehi, Kiernan Trippier(Gomez 64′), Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer (Eze 77′), Harry Kane (Toney 64′), Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon (Saka 65′)
Substitutes – Joe Gomez, Dean Henderson, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Conor Gallagher, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Jordan Pickford, Adam Wharton, James Trafford, Bukayo Saka
Iceland – Hakon Valdimarsson, Bjarki Steinn Bjarkason, Kolbeinn Finnsson, Johann Berg Gudmundsson (A.Sigurdsson 83′), Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Daniel Leo Gretarsson, Mikael Anderson (S.Bordarson 64′), Arnor Ingvi Traustason, Andri Gudjohnsen, Hakon Arnar Haraldsson (Bergmann Johannesson 83′), Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson (Frioriksson 90+4′)
Substitutes – Elias Olafsson, Alfons Stampsted, Gudmundur Poraarinsson, Brynjar Ingi Bjarnasson, Arnor Sigurdsson, Logi Tomasson, Patrik Gunnarsson, Stefan Teltur Bordarson, Valgeir Lunddal Frioriksson, Isak Bergmann Johannesson, Sævar Atli Magnusson, Kristian Hlynsson
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