'You play the percentages, and if it bounces the right way for you, something can happen.'
The Celtic and Sweden striker quit international soccer after the 2002 World Cup finals where he was not fully fit
Injured Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel was named on Monday in Nigeria's preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup. A knee injury kept the 23-year-old out of the London club's last three games in the title run-in but Nigeria Lars Lagerback is banking on his return to fitness for the tournament in South Africa starting next month.
Sweden midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson is out of Euro 2008 because of a hamstring injury.
Iceland will head into their maiden appearance in a major tournament devoid of stage fright, their coach Lars Lagerback and key players said ahead of Tuesday's Euro 2016 Group F clash with Portugal in St Etienne.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and defender Pepe could land roles in Hollywood because of their playacting, Iceland coach Lars Lagerback has said ahead their European Championship Group F clash in St Etienne on Tuesday.
Wayne Rooney and Roy Hodgson have called on England to be ruthless in their attacking play during their Euro 2016 knockout clash with Iceland in Nice on Monday.
Iceland do not fear facing England at Euro 2016 joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said on Wednesday after his indefatigable players beat Austria 2-1 to book a place in the last 16.
Two of the surprise teams of the opening round of matches at Euro 2016 meet on Saturday when Iceland face Hungary in Group F.
An inhospitable climate and the smallest population of any World Cup nation have failed to dampen Iceland's burning desire
'The players showed what they're all about, we had chance to progress till the dying minutes. I couldn't be more proud of the players but we are disappointed to not go through. It's a beautiful game but sometimes it's really tough'
Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson likened his team to an army on Sunday heading for a "win-win" second-round battle with England at Euro 2016. Iceland are the smallest country at the tournament with a population of just 332,000, the size of a city such as Leicester whose club won the English Premier League title this season.
Iceland failed to use their brains in Sunday's 5-2 defeat to France at Euro 2016, joint coach Lars Lagerback said, though he spoke with pride of the team's achievements in getting to the quarter-finals in their first tournament appearance.
Surprise Euro 2016 quarter-finalists Iceland want a fairytale ending to their run, like the one that Leicester City enjoyed when they stunned the soccer world by clinching the Premier League title this season, team coaches said on Wednesday. Leicester, with no big names in the squad, finished ahead of far more illustrious English clubs in what was one of the biggest upsets in club football.
Iceland's run to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 showed that a Nordic island known for its volcanoes and pioneering geothermal power has the potential to generate plenty of its own talented footballers too.
Iceland have already exceeded expectations by qualifying second in their group behind Hungary and will go into the game with nothing to lose and the whole world, beyond England, willing them on.
Hrithik Roshan co-owned Indian Super League team FC Pune City on Tuesday announced former Chelsea and Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen as their marquee player for the 2016 edition of the league.
When UEFA decided eight years ago to expand the European Championship from 16 to 24 teams, its then president Michel Platini promised the standard of the tournament would not drop.
Whether it is Greece's victory at Euro 2004, Denmark's success in 1992 or Iceland's run to the quarter-finals at Euro 2016, the similarities between successful smaller countries and their approaches seem striking.
World champions Germany cruised to a comfortable 4-1 victory over Azerbaijan to stay on track for a spot in next year's World Cup in Russia, while England laboured to a 2-0 victory over Lithuania.
France's hopes of reaching the World Cup finals are hanging by a thread after a 2-0 first-leg defeat away to Ukraine in their playoff on Friday while Cristiano Ronaldo's late winner gave Portugal the edge against Sweden.
With eight teams remaining at Euro 2016, a guide to the form of the quarter-finalists, looking at their strengths and weaknesses.
Belgium make Wales wait after Hazard's strike, while Czechs beat Latvia to qualify
Switzerland struck twice in quick succession to stun Euro 2016 champions Portugal 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and hand them a first competitive defeat in two years under coach Fernando Santos.
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