Euro 2024 is just around the corner, and England will host Iceland in a friendly for what will be their final game in preparation before the tournament begins.
Date: 07/06/24
Kick-off time: 19:45
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium plays host to England and Iceland as Gareth Southgate gets a final look at his players before they set off to Germany for the European Championships. It will also be a last opportunity for certain players to impress before Southgate cuts the provisional squad to 26 the following day. The likes of Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton and Curtis Jones will be hoping to remain in the squad, whilst Jack Grealish will be looking to prove his worth.
Jude Bellingham will be a focal point in the England side, and he will be coming into camp fresh from his first ever Champions League triumph. Harry Kane also comes into the tournament on the back of a fantastic campaign, in which he scored 44 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich. Cole Palmer’s displays this season gives Southgate a tough decision with a number of players pushing to start in his position. The Chelsea star has 37 goal involvements, but has only made two appearances for his country.
Iceland will be the opponents, after they missed out on European qualification. They earned a place in the playoff phase despite finishing fourth in their group, and faced Israel in the first game. They won 4-1, which set up a game with Ukraine. However, they were beaten 2-1 late on to end their European hopes. Albert Gudmundsson of Genoa has scored four goals in the last two games, so could provide a threat against the England defence.
These two nations have only played against each other five times, the most recent being a 4-0 win for the Three Lions in the Nations League in November 2020. However, the most famous meeting came in Euro 2016, as Iceland shocked England in the Round of 16. Wayne Rooney opened the scoring, but the game was turned on its head before the 20th minute.
