Famous Icelander Sportspersons

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is an Icelandic actor and former professional strongman. He inspired a number of Icelandic strongmen by becoming the first person to win the World's Strongest Man, Europe's Strongest Man, and Arnold Strongman Classic in the same calendar year. His popularity as a strongman earned him the role of Gregor Clegane in the popular series Game of Thrones.

Retired Icelandic powerlifter Magnús Ver Magnússon not only won the World’s Strongest Man contest 4 times but has also been Europe's Strongest Man twice and Iceland's Strongest Man 8 times. He owns a gym, has launched a strongman competition, and judges powerlifting and strongman contests, too.

Icelandic MMA fighter Gunnar Nelson, also known as Gunni, competes for the UFC welterweight division. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he had been interested in football and ice hockey till age 13, when he began training in Gōjū-ryū Karate. He is a World Jiu-Jitsu Championship silver medalist.

Magnús Scheving is best known as the creator of the BAFTA-winning children’s series Lazy Town, which has its roots in Scheving’s first book and centers around children’s fitness. The Icelandic aerobic gymnastic champion is also a motivational speaker and has previously been a fitness trainer at a school.

Icelandic strongman and powerlifter Benedikt "Benni" Magnússon currently holds the WPO powerlifting world record in deadlift and the Log Lift Icelandic Record. He won the Iceland's Strongest Man contest in 2003 and finished as runner up in 2004 and 2010. He attained the strongman deadlift world record at 460 kg in April 2011 at MHP's Clash of the Titan's IV.

Icelandic weightlifter and CrossFit athlete Sara Sigmundsdóttir was placed 3rd in the CrossFit Games twice. She has also won the 2016 Dubai Fitness Championship and appeared in the documentary Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness. She now works as a trainer at CrossFit Sudurnes in Reykjanesbaer.

Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, or Ragga Ragnars, was 19 when she became Iceland’s youngest swimmer at the Olympics. After making multiple national records in freestyle, she retired and started studying acting. She later gained fame as Gunnhild, an Icelandic Saga figure, in the popular historical drama TV series Vikings.

Icelandic footballer Alfreð Finnbogason is a forward who began his youth career with teams such as Grindavík and later graduated to senior teams such as Breiðablik. He has also played for Dutch, Spanish, German, and Belgian clubs. He has won the Icelandic Cup with Breiðablik and the Super League Greece with Olympiacos.

Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir scripted history as the first female to win the CrossFit Games twice. The former gymnast withdrew from the 2015 CrossFit Games due to heatstroke, but baring that occasion, she has never finished below top 13. She now owns Reebok CrossFit Reykjavik.

Icelandic footballer Kolbeinn Sigþórsson, who started his senior career with HK, later had a successful stint with the Dutch club Ajax, winning the Eredivisie thrice and the Johan Cruyff Shield once. His 26 goals for the Iceland national team have made him the top joint national goal-scorer of all time.

Born to Icelandic parents in the US, footballer Aron Jóhannsson moved to Iceland at age 3. Starting his senior career with Fjölnir, he later had successful stints with the Dutch club AZ and the Danish club AGF. While he initially represented the Iceland U21 team, he later switched to the US national team.

Icelandic former footballer and coach Eiður Guðjohnsen began his senior career with Valur and then had successful stints with clubs such as Chelsea and Barcelona as a forward/midfielder. The son of former striker Arnór Guðjohnsen, he had also led the Iceland national football team as its captain.

Icelandic footballer Aron Gunnarsson is best known as a midfielder for the Qatari club Al-Arabi. While he was initially determined to be a handball player, he later switched to football. He led Iceland to their first World Cup in 2018 and also captained them to the quarter-finals of the 2016 UEFA Euro.

Icelandic professional football-winger Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson made his senior-career debut with Breiðablik. Thereafter he played with AZ, with whom he won the 2012–13 KNVB Cup; and with Charlton Athletic before joining Burnley in July 2016. He represented Iceland in UEFA Euro 2016, where he assisted the country’s first-ever goal in a major tournament; and in 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Retired Icelandic gymnast and track athlete Katrín Davíðsdóttir scripted history as the second woman to be a CrossFit Games champion twice. She was 18 when she began her CrossFit career. She later appeared in the 30th season of the reality game show The Amazing Race.

Gylfi Sigurðsson is an Icelandic football player who plays for the Iceland national team and Premier League club Everton. He helped the Iceland national team reach the quarter-finals at UEFA Euro 2016, the team's first major tournament. He also represented the country at their first-ever FIFA World Cup in the year 2018. 

Icelandic footballer Birkir Bjarnason plays as a central midfielder for the Turkish club Adana Demirspor. Starting his senior career with Viking, he has also played for teams such as Aston Villa, winning the 2019 EFL Championship play-offs with them, and the Swiss Super League with FC Basel.

Icelandic former professional football centre-back Ragnar Sigurðsson  made his senior-career debut with Fylkir and went on to play with several other clubs, most notably with IFK Göteborg, with whom he won Allsvenskan (2007), Svenska Supercupen (2008) and Svenska Cupen (2008). He won 97 caps while representing Iceland during 2007-20, which included representing the country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  

Icelandic professional footballer Jón Daði Böðvarsson made his senior debut with Selfoss. Thereafter he played with several other clubs before joining his present club Bolton Wanderers in January 2022. He played for Iceland at under-19 and under-21 level and became full international in 2012. He remained part of the national squad during UEFA Euro 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

Apart from being a coach and former footballer, Heimir Hallgrímsson is also a qualified dentist. The Icelandic defender has had successful playing stints with teams such as ÍBV and Höttur. He has also coached the Iceland team and the Qatari club Al-Arabi among others. He also has his dental chamber in Vestmannaeyjar.

Gísli Örn Garðarsson is an Icelandic actor and occasional scriptwriter and producer. Also a theatre director, Gísli Örn is credited with co-founding a theatre and film company called Vesturport. Gísli Örn Garðarsson is best known for his portrayal of Garðar in the 2006 Icelandic film Children, which earned him a Shooting Stars Award at the Berlin Film Festival in 2007.

Ólafur Stefánsson is an Icelandic retired handball player who played as a right back for the Icelandic men's national handball team from 1992 to 2013. In 2008, he helped his national team win the silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. In 2010, Ólafur Stefánsson was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the European Championship.

Icelandic professional footballer Emil Hallfreðsson made his senior career debut with Icelandic multi-sports club Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar. Moving on, he played with other clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Reggina and Virtus Verona and rejoined the latter club in October 2021. He also plays for the Iceland national team and was part of the nation’s squad during EURO 2016 and 2018 World Cup.

Icelandic professional football centre-back Hörður Björgvin Magnússon  made his senior-career debut with Knattspyrnufélagið Fram and went on to play with other clubs including Juventus and CSKA Moscow. He won the 2018 Russian Super Cup with the latter and joined Panathinaikos in July 2022. He plays for Iceland and was part of the nation’s 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup.

Icelandic footballer Arnór Ingvi Traustason began his senior career with Keflavík and then also represented teams such as Rapid Wien, Malmö FF, and New England Revolution. The midfielder also plays for the Iceland national team and the Swedish club IFK Norrköping and won the 2015 Allsvenskan with the latter.

Icelandic professional football striker Viðar Örn Kjartansson presently plays for the Super League Greece club Atromitos. He made his senior debut for Selfoss. His achievements so far includes becoming Úrvalsdeild Top Goalscorer (2013), Tippeligaen top scorer (2014) and Israeli Premier League Top Goalscorer (2016–17); and winning Chinese FA Cup (2015) with Jiangsu Sainty and Allsvenskan (2016) with Malmö FF.    

Icelandic footballer Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson started his career with ÍA and later also played for the Wolverhampton Wanderers. He now represents the Norwegian club Molde as a forward and won the Tippeligaen and the Norwegian Cup with them in 2014. He also plays for the Iceland national team.

Icelandic footballer Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir represents the German club VfL Wolfsburg as a forward. She has won the 2020 Icelandic Championship with Breiðablik and the 2022 Frauen-Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg. She was also named the 2021 Icelandic Women's Footballer of the Year and the 2020 Úrvalsdeild Player of the Year.

Icelandic handballer Aron Pálmarsson made his senior career debut with Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar . He presently plays for Aalborg Håndbold and the Icelandic national handball team. So far Pálmarsson has achieved several feats including winning bronze with national team at 2010 European Championship; Bundesliga (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) with THW Kiel; and Copa ASOBAL(2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) with FC Barcelona.

Icelandic footballer Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir now plays for Juventus FC as a midfielder. She has previously had successful stints with Olympique Lyonnais, Rosengård, and VfL Wolfsburg. She made headlines when she trained during pregnancy and returned to the field immediately after having a baby in late 2021.

Icelandic born athlete and actor Peter Ronson is known for taking part in the 110 metres hurdles event at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome. He is also remembered for essaying the role of Hans Bjelke and contributing as a technical adviser in the blockbuster hit 1959 American science fiction adventure film Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Icelandic former handballer Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson, who presently serves as coach of VfL Gummersbach, is noted for breaking the world record of Hungarian Péter Kovács for most goals scored in international men's handball in 2018. Other achievements of Sigurðsson includes winning silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and bronze at the 2010 European Championship with Icelandic national handball team.

Icelandic footballer Guðjón Baldvinsson plays as a striker for KR Reykjavík. Starting his career with Ungmennafélagið Stjarnan, he later also played for the Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League. He has also had successful stints with the Danish club FC Nordsjælland and the Swedish club GAIS.

Apart from being a Jungian psychoanalyst, Fiann Paul also holds the highest number of Guinness records in a single sport. He is the fastest and most record-breaking ocean rower, a talented photographer of indigenous life, and the first person row over all 4 oceans. He is also an expert in depth psychology.

Mikael Anderson is an Icelandic football player who plays for the national football team as well as Aarhus Gymnastikforening. A midfielder, Anderson also holds Danish citizenship and has played for both Denmark and Iceland at youth levels.

Icelandic handball player Viktor Gísli Hallgrímsson represents the French club HBC Nantes and has previously played for the Icelandic club Fram and the Danish club GOG Håndbold. He also plays for the Icelandic national team and was named the 2022 All-Star goalkeeper of the European Championship.

Icelandic basketball player Martin Hermannsson began his senior career at age 15. He now plays as a point guard/shooting guard for the Spanish club Valencia. The 5-time Icelandic Basketball Player of the Year is also a German and Icelandic Basketball Cup winner. He also has a GSSE silver and bronze in his kitty.

Known as much for his football skills as for his 7’ 1” frame, Icelandic basketball player Tryggvi Hlinason represents the Spanish team Basket Zaragoza. Born and raised on an isolated farm, he later began his basketball career with Þór Akureyri. He is a GSSE bronze winner and has also won the Spanish Supercup.

Dagur Sigurðsson is an Icelandic former handball player who played for the Icelandic men's national handball team from 1992 to 2005. Currently working as a coach, Sigurðsson helped the German team win the gold medal and the bronze medal at the 2016 European Championship and 2016 Olympics respectively. Sigurðsson is the current head coach of the Japan national handball team.        

Jón Arnór Stefánsson is an Icelandic professional basketball player who played for the national team from 2000 to 2019. In 2014, he was named Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year. Jón Arnór Stefánsson has also played for popular clubs like Dynamo Saint Petersburg and Valencia Basket. He has also won several tournaments, including the Icelandic Men's Basketball Cup.

Alexander Petersson is a Latvian-born Icelandic retired handball player who represented the Icelandic men's national team from 2005 to 2021. In 2008, he helped his national team win the silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. In 2010, Alexander Petersson was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the European Championship in Austria.

Sigvaldi Guðjónsson is an Icelandic professional handball player who plays as a right wing for the men's national handball team. In 2019, he was part of the team that competed at the World Men's Handball Championship. Sigvaldi Guðjónsson has also played for popular clubs like Aarhus Håndbold and Elverum Håndball.

Elín Metta Jensen is an Icelandic football player who plays as a striker for the women's national football team and Valur. Elín has helped Valur win prestigious tournaments such as the Icelandic Women's Cup and Icelandic Women's Super Cup. Elín Metta Jensen has also represented her country in important tournaments like the 2013 and 2017 UEFA Women's Championship.

Alfreð Gíslason is an Icelandic former handball player who scored 542 goals for the national team in 190 games. In 1989, he was named Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year. Alfreð Gíslason is the present head coach of the Germany national handball team. In 2019, he was made a National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland Hall of Fame inductee.

Kristian Hlynsson is an Icelandic football player who plays for Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax. Although he was born in Denmark, Hlynsson chose to represent Iceland internationally at youth levels. Kristian Hlynsson is currently a part of the Iceland men's national under-21 football team.

Jón Axel Guðmundsson is an Icelandic basketball player who was part of the national team that won the bronze medal at the 2017 Games of the Small States of Europe. Over the years, Jón Axel Guðmundsson has also played for clubs like Grindavík, winning two national championships in 2012 and 2013 with Grindavík.