11 things you didn't know about Iceland

Iceland Credit: YouTube/MissLindzKaye

Blog by Steve Clamp

At 8pm England will kick off against Iceland in their first knockout game of Euro 2016.

Jamie Vardy will be hoping for a chance of scoring his second goal of the tournament just days after committing his long term future to Leicester City. And you'd think England would be the favourites, after all Iceland's entire population is roughly the same as that of Leicester!

England's Jamie Vardy during a training session at Stade de Bourgognes, Chantilly. Credit: PA

But with Iceland finishing their group in second, ahead of Ronaldo's Portugal, nothing can be taken for granted. The game is live on ITV this evening, but before you watch, here are some unusual facts about this Nordic Country... Let's call it Iceland's starting 11...

  • 1) Beer was illegal in Iceland until 1989

  • 2) In 2009 Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir became the first openly gay head of state in the World.

  • 3) There aren’t any McDonald’s restaurants in Iceland. Or strip clubs, they were banned in 2010.

  • 4) Roughly 85 percent of Iceland’s total energy is from renewable resources, and almost 100% of the country's electricity is from renewable sources.

  • 5) Icelandic telephone directories list Icelanders by first name alphabetically.

Video credit is YouTube: MissLindzKaye

  • 6) There are no mosquitos in Iceland...

  • 7) Puffin heart is a delicacy

  • 8) One in ten Icelanders will publish a book in their lifetime

  • 9) Famous Icelanders include singer and songwriter Björk, her distinctive style led to hits including 'Big time sensuality' and 'It's so quiet'. She was appeared at sixtieth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"

  • 10) The country’s national sport is handball.

  • 11) Iceland has produced some impressive footballers, Eidur Gudjohnsen played for Bolton, Chelsea, Barcelona and Stoke among others. Tonight a few more Icelandic footballers will be hoping to make a name for themselves...