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Iceland return home as national heroes after stunning Euro 2016 campaign

Iceland are undoubtedly one of the stories of Euro 2016. From the fearless football they played to reach the quarterfinals to their excitable host commentator and their incredible fans, the tournament was richer for their presence.

Here's a look at their tournament and where Iceland go from here ...

At a glance

The fairytale is over. France were too strong for Iceland in the quarterfinals, but the team's performance at Euro 2016 will be fondly remembered by fans and neutrals alike.

Highlight

There were many highlights on this eventful journey in France, such as Birkir Bjarnason's equaliser against Portugal and Arnor Ingvi Traustason's winning goal in the dying seconds against Austria. The standout memory, though, is the 2-1 win over England in the round of 16 and how convincing it really was.

Falling behind in the fourth minute and responding with two goals in the next 14 from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is something that will live in memories for years to come and reflected well on the character of this team. The result will go down as one of the biggest surprises in the history of the competition and reaching the last eight on their debut at a major tournament is a tremendous boost for Icelandic football.

Low point

The first 45 minutes against France in the quarterfinals, when the rampant hosts raced into a 4-0 lead.

Were the players already satisfied with what they had achieved? Were they too afraid to miss out on a potential semifinal because nine out of the starting XI were a booking away from suspension? Or, perhaps, they were too tense for the biggest occasion of their careers. It's impossible to analyse it and reach a definitive conclusion but on the night, the French were simply too good for them.

After conceding only one goal in each game before the last eight, Iceland's defensive system was in tatters at half-time. The match as a contest was over and there was nothing left to play for but pride.

Star man

Without doubt, centre-half Ragnar Sigurdsson was Iceland's best player. All eyes were on him after the 2-1 victory against England, but in truth he was commanding at the back in every match. He was almost perfect against England and never put a foot wrong, winning every duel and scoring Iceland's important equaliser. He went close to scoring again with a bicycle-kick and showed how a tackle can be an art form when he stopped Jamie Vardy in the penalty area with the striker closing in on goal.

At 30, this was the stage for him to show his best in a final push for a spell in one of Europe's top leagues. A champion in both Sweden and Denmark and playing lots of Europa League football with Russia's Krasnodar over the last two years, Sigurdsson is eager to get a chance to show his skills in the Premier League or the Bundesliga.

Lessons learned

When a nation of around 330,000 makes its debut in a major competition, it's a tremendous experience and a great opportunity to upgrade the sport domestically as a whole.

The players discovered they can compete against the elite in Europe and after scoring eight goals in five matches to go unbeaten through the first four matches and qualify for the quarterfinals, they should be encouraged to do it again at the 2018 World Cup.

Most of the players are young enough to be able to represent Iceland for a few years and their legacy will be invaluable for the country's young and upcoming players, who will be encouraged to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.

For the Icelandic Football Federation, there were a number of things to learn about organisation, how to handle sudden fame and fortune and what can possibly be done to take the country's football to the next level.