The United States is absent from the World Cup for the first time since 1986, which means up to 325 million Americans are temporarily free agents.
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir says her island nation about 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) off Norway’s coast is the perfect pick for their passion. Iceland is the least-populous country ever at soccer’s showcase with just 350,000.
“We can do with more supporters. We absolutely need them,” she said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “We’ve got a lot of support from people around the world.