With just one match remaining in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Faroe Islands are on the brink of one of football’s greatest underdog stories. A nation of just 53,000 inhabitants, with around 5,000 registered footballers, now stands just one point away from a playoff spot that could secure their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Speaking to the media, national team coach Eydun Klakstein reflected on the remarkable progress made by Faroese football, describing how a combination of community passion, organisation, and belief has taken the team to the edge of history.
🇫🇴 WE ARE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS NOW PEOPLE!
— Nordic Footy 🏴 (@footy_nordic) October 12, 2025
THE FAROE ISLANDS HAVE BEATEN CZECHIA 2-1!
The Faroe Islands have won FOUR games in a World Cup qualifying campaign!
The Faroe Islands have beaten a country ranked 97 places above them in the world rankings!
The Faroe Islands… pic.twitter.com/WIsE1zHeUg
“It didn’t happen overnight,” Klakstein explained. “It’s not about one team or one system; it’s the result of many years of hard work. Our 17 clubs across the islands are well-structured, our facilities are excellent, and we have artificial pitches open all year round. Anyone can walk into a stadium, even the national stadium, with a ball under their arm and play football.”
The Faroe Islands’ transformation has been gradual but determined. Many local clubs now operate with full-time coaches, fitness experts, and improved training standards. The domestic league continues to evolve, producing players with greater physical strength and tactical intelligence, many of whom now play professionally abroad.
For Klakstein, however, Faroese football’s strength goes far beyond tactics and technique; it’s cultural.
“For centuries, our people have fought against the wind, the sea, and the storms,” he said. “We’ve always had to survive against the odds. That fighting spirit is in our blood and in our culture. It shapes who we are on the pitch, united, resilient, and never afraid to challenge anyone.”
That mentality was on full display when the Faroes stunned the Czech Republic 2-1 in Thorshavn last month, a result that reignited their qualification hopes. Klakstein admitted that their opponents are no longer taking them lightly. “When we played the Czechs, there was genuine respect. They were careful, tactical, and prepared, and that made our win even more satisfying. Croatia will not underestimate us either.”
The Faroes have built their campaign on defensive stability and efficiency in transition. “We’ve conceded only eight goals in our last ten matches, that’s a record for us,” the coach said. “We’ve improved in every phase, our counter-attacks, our pressing, and our attacking structure. The players have been fantastic.”
Now, the Nordic outsiders travel to Zagreb for a decisive showdown with Croatia, one of the top-ranked teams in world football. “We know it will take something special,” Klakstein admitted. “But if we defend solidly, fight with everything we have, and keep the courage to attack, we can compete with anyone.”
If results go their way, with the Faroes beating Croatia and the Czech Republic failing to defeat Gibraltar, it would mark one of the most extraordinary achievements in international football history.
“It would be historic,” Klakstein concluded. “Even what we’ve done so far is beyond expectations, but qualifying would mean everything, for our players, for our people, and for every small nation that dares to believe.”
