Preview: Iceland vs Estonia - prediction, team news, lineups

Having been relegated from Europe's second tier in 2025, Iceland will kick off their 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign when Estonia visit Reykjavik on Saturday.

The pair's League C Group 4 opener will be the first of four fixtures apiece across the next fortnight, in a group also featuring Luxembourg and Bulgaria.

Match preview

After finishing third in their League B group behind Wales and Turkey in the Nations League's most recent edition, Iceland then suffered relegation in the playoffs a few months later.

Arnar Gunnlaugsson's side were beaten in both legs of a tough tie against Kosovo, and that set the tone for another unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign.

Seeking their second appearance at the global finals, Iceland finished third again - this time behind France and Ukraine - before failing to win any of five subsequent friendlies.

The Nordic nation lost to Mexico, Japan and Argentina, in addition to draws with Canada and Haiti, so their winless run stretches back to a 2-0 victory against Azerbaijan last November.

Nonetheless, Gunnlaugsson has been retained, and the former Leicester City striker will lead his country into a quickfire quartet of Group 4 fixtures over the next two weeks.

The first will take place at Laugardalsvollur, where Iceland must start as favourites to defeat their opening opponents.

While the hosts are world-ranked 74th by FIFA, Estonia sit 127th in the latest standings, reflecting their modest status on the international stage.

Jurgen Henn's men only won one of six games in the last Nations League, before going through the motions of another World Cup qualifying campaign.

Left trailing in the wake of Group I's top three, their sole success was away to fellow minnows Moldova, who had been reduced to 10 men within five minutes.

Still, Estonia can come into this contest as Baltic Cup champions, having beaten the Faroe Islands and Lithuania to lift the trophy for a sixth time this summer.

Iceland form (all competitions):

Estonia form (all competitions):

Team News

Iceland's first-choice goalkeeper Elias Rafn Olafsson must miss the opening set of Nations League matches due to injury, as the Midtjylland stopper has just undergone kidney surgery.

Gunnlaugsson called up Anton Ara Einarsson of Breidablik as cover, but Brentford's Hakon Valdimarsson - who has just returned from a back injury - or Runar Alex Runarsson could take the gloves instead.

Though veteran defender Aron Gunnarsson has decided to retire from international football, the 37-year-old is still available until he finally signs off next month.

Real Sociedad's Orri Oskarsson is likely to partner Lazio forward Albert Gudmundsson up front for the hosts, while Estonia's attack could be led by Alex Tamm, in the absence of injured striker Rauno Sappinen.

Regular starter Vlasiy Sinyavskiy is also unavailable, so Michael Schjonning-Larsen may fill in at left-back.

Once again, 104-cap skipper Karol Mets is set to helm the visitors' defence, ahead of Werder Bremen goalkeeper Karl Hein.

Iceland possible starting lineup:

Valdimarsson; Palsson, Gretarsson, Magnusson, Tomasson; Ellertsson, Johannesson, Baldursson, Haraldsson; Gudmundsson, Oskarsson

Estonia possible starting lineup:

Hein; Saliste, Mets, Paskotsi, Schjonning-Larsen; Soomets, Kait, Kristal; Mustmaa, Tamm, Saarma