Guatemala and Iceland lock horns for a friendly game at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday in their first-ever matchup.
Ranked 71st in the world, Iceland have dropped significantly in recent years following their stints in the Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Their stuttering run of form has continued in the ongoing Euro 2024 qualifiers, where the Strakarnir Okkar have won just thrice in 10 games. All's not lost yet, though, as the island nation are into the playoffs, and will face Israel in March.
Iceland have called up 23 players for this month's friendly games to Guatemala and Peru, including former Everton man Gylfi Sigurdsson. There are five uncapped players in the squad too, including goalkeeper Lukas Petersson.
Guatemala are coming off a rough 2023 calendar year too. The South American side won only six times in 17 outings, and are winless in their last four. In the Gold Cup, however, the Chapines reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2011, which was the only high point of their year.
For their friendly against Iceland, the CONCACAF outfit have named a 22-player squad, including key forward Darwin Lom, who has scored 10 goals from 21 appearances for the side.
Guatemala vs Iceland Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the first international clash between Iceland and Guatemala.
- Guatemala are winless in their last four international games.
- In their last 11 games, Iceland won just thrice and lost seven times.
- Having failed to score in their last game, Iceland could see consecutive scoreless outings for the first time since a run of three in November 2022.
- Iceland are ranked 71st in the world, while Guatemala are in 108th position.
Guatemala vs Iceland Prediction
Neither side enter the tie on the back of a solid run, so this could go either way. Iceland are the favorites on paper, but are missing several key players. The Chapines will look to capitalize on that but the Strakarnir okkar could prevail narrowly in a cagey affair.
Prediction: Guatemala 0-1 Iceland
Guatemala vs Iceland Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Iceland to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No