Iceland's football team at the 2016 Euro Games, was a surprise, not to say a sensation. Against all odds, it made it to the quarter finals after beating England (2-1).
I am not a sports fan, and don't get too impressed by sport achievements, but the case of Iceland is worth studying as there were other surprises, not sports related, that have preceded the one at the Euro Games.
During the economic crisis of 2008-2009, this tiny nation living on an island with very harsh climatic and geological conditions - let its banks collapse instead of bailing them out, and put bankers and other finance people in jail!! No prize was given to the banks and bankers , but punishment for their part in the economic collapse. The banks were nationalized and the banking system was taken over by the government.
Usually,in the event of an economic crisis, a country's banking system is saved at all costs (unfortunately, the banks use that knowledge to play high risk financial games, which is quite frightening).
Iceland did the unusual, and it worked. Since 2011 she has recovered from the economic crisis, and is doing well with fishing and tourism as the main industries (The banking system, though, is still in the hands of the government) .
Anyway, considering its football team performances at the Euro Games, Iceland, a land of more volcanoes and glaciers than people, is now on the "world map" and cannot be ignored.