Match Centre: Iceland v England

Written by:

Holly Hunt

FULL TIME

FIFA 2027 World Cup European Qualifiers League A, Group 3

Saturday 18 April, 05:30 PM Laugardalsvöllur

0 0

HT: 0 - 0

Everything you need to know ahead of the Lionesses' historic 500th fixture away to Iceland

Preview Live Match Report

Iceland v England
FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 Qualifier
5.30pm BST, Saturday 18 April 2026
Laugardalsvöllur

Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway were on target last time out against Iceland in Nottingham

Iceland in profile

Nickname: Our Girls
Coach: Þorsteinn Halldórsson
Captain: Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir
Last encounter: England 2-0 Iceland, 7 March 2026

Match stats and facts

● Iceland have lost nine of their eleven meetings with England in all competitions (W1 D1), including a 2-0 loss in Nottingham last month – Stelpurnar okkar managed just one shot in that defeat while facing 31 from the Lionesses.

● England are unbeaten in each of their three previous away games against Iceland in all competitions (W2 D1), with this set to be their first since a 2-2 draw in September 2002 in a FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off (won 1-0 in the home leg).

● This will be the 500th game of England’s history, 53 years and 151 days since winning their first against Scotland in November 1972. The Lionesses lost their 100th (vs Germany in 1990) and 400th matches (vs Canada in 2019) but did beat Australia and Finland in their 200th (Sep 2003) and 300th (Feb 2012) games respectively.

● Iceland have won three of their last five matches in all competitions (L2), while they have also lost only one of their last nine competitive home games (W6 D2), losing 2-0 to France in June 2025.

● England are unbeaten in each of their last 24 away games in FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying (W22 D2), since a 1-0 loss against France in November 2002. The Lionesses have scored 117 goals in that period, while conceding just nine times.

● Among League A nations in qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Iceland’s games have seen the most total shots (104 – 33 for, 71 against) - Stelpurnar okkar mustered 26 shots against Ukraine in their third game of the group, their most on record in a competitive fixture (since 2023).

● England have won all three of their 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification matches, all in 2026 – the Lionesses last started a calendar year with four successive wins back in 2005.

● England completed 253 passes and had 37 per cent possession in their 1-0 win against Spain last time out, both their lowest totals in a victory under manager Sarina Wiegman.

● England’s Hannah Hampton has kept five clean sheets in nine appearances in qualifying matches for major tournaments (World Cup/EUROs), including in both of her last two; only between December 2024 and April 2025 has the Chelsea shot stopper kept three shutouts in a row overall for the Lionesses.

● 41 per cent of Lauren Hemp’s total goal involvements for England have come in FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying matches (17/41), scoring eight goals and providing nine assists at an average of one every 56 minutes.