Group F of UEFA Euro 2016 contains Portugal, Iceland, Austria, and Hungary. It is Iceland's first appearance at the finals. Matches will be played from 14 to 22 June 2016.
Portugal
Best result: runners-up 2004
Coach: Fernando Santos
Leading scorers: all-time – Cristiano Ronaldo (55); current – Cristiano Ronaldo (55)
Most appearances: all-time – Luís Figo (127); current – Cristiano Ronaldo (123)
Association formed: 1914
Nickname: Selecção das Quinas (Team of Shields)
Where they play: Various
Portugal ended a lengthy semi-final jinx for UEFA European Championship host nations when they made it through to the Lisbon showpiece in 2004, but defeat by Greece meant they became the only team in the competition's history to lose a final on home turf. Since then, with Cristiano Ronaldo an increasingly potent attacking force, Portugal have reached two semi-finals – at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2012, losing in the latter to Spain on penalties. They have a perfect qualification record for major tournaments since the turn of the millennium, which was extended by a group-topping performance en route to UEFA EURO 2016.
Portugal made their UEFA European Championship finals debut in 1984, and came within six minutes of the Paris showpiece, leading hosts France deep into extra time until Jean-François Domergue and Michel Platini struck to turn the tie. They next qualified for the tournament in 1996 and are one of seven nations to have taken part in the last five EUROs, along with Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Portugal have never failed to advance beyond the group stage, losing semi-finals to eventual winners France in 1984 and 2000, and Spain in 2012. They went one better on home soil at UEFA EURO 2004 before going down 1-0 to Greece, complete outsiders at the start of the tournament, in the Lisbon final.
Memorable EURO matches
20/06/2000: Portugal 3-0 Germany, UEFA EURO 2000 group stage
A Sérgio Conceição hat-trick helped Portugal's second string seal the holders' exit.
10/06/2000: Portugal 3-2 England, UEFA EURO 2000 group stage
Trailing 2-0 after 18 minutes, Luís Figo, João Pinto and Nuno Gomes turned the game around.
23/06/1984: France 3-2 Portugal, 1984 UEFA European Championship semi-finals
A thrilling match against the hosts was Portugal's real breakthrough at the EURO finals.
Did you know?
Portugal were the last team to receive the FIFA World Cup Most Entertaining Team award for their performance at the 2006 finals in Germany.
Iceland
Best result: never previously qualified
Coach: Lars Lagerbäck/Heimir Hallgrímsson
Leading scorers: all-time – Eidur Gudjohnsen (25); current – Eidur Gudjohnsen (25)
Most appearances: all-time – Rúnar Kristinsson (104); current – Eidur Gudjohnsen (81)
Association formed: 1947
Nickname: Strákarnir okkar (Our boys)
Where they play: Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavik
A team on the rise, constructed on the foundations of the talented Under-21 squad that qualified for the 2011 UEFA European Championship in Denmark, Iceland made history by reaching the qualifying play-offs for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Led by former long-serving Sweden head coach Lars Lagerbäck they finished second in their qualifying group, missing out on a place in Brazil after a 2-0 aggregate defeat by Croatia. It was their best ever performance in a major competition, eclipsing their valiant effort to qualify for UEFA EURO 2000 when only a last-day 3-2 defeat in France eliminated them – but even better was to follow as Iceland claimed second place in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group A to reach a major tournament for the first time.
Iceland were slow to make an impression in UEFA European Championship qualifying, failing to record a victory in the 1964 preliminaries. Having not entered in 1968 and 1972 they earned just two wins in their next three campaigns, though the shock 2-1 defeat of East Germany in Reykjavik in 1975 hinted at their potential.
Iceland's recent history reads much better. Ahead of UEFA EURO 2000 they recorded four wins as they amassed 15 points to run France, Ukraine and Russia close. Four years later they were even closer, missing out on the play-offs by a solitary point after winning half their eight fixtures. They finished second bottom of their UEFA EURO 2008 and 2012 qualifying groups.
Memorable EURO matches
09/09/2014: Iceland 3-0 Turkey, UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying
Iceland opened their campaign with a ruthless display against ten-man Turkey in Reykjavik.
03/09/2015: Netherlands 0-1 Iceland, UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying
Gylfi Sigurdsson's 51st-minute penalty completed the double over the Dutch and left Iceland on the brink of the finals.
05/06/1975: Iceland 2-1 East Germany, 1976 UEFA European Championship qualifying
Iceland's first EURO qualifying win was a big scalp, ultimately barring East Germany's progress.
Did you know?
Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, then 17, came on for his father Arnór in Iceland's 3-0 friendly win against Estonia in Tallinn on 24 April 1996 – the first time that a father and son had featured as players in the same international match.
Austria
Best result: group stage 2008
Coach: Marcel Koller
Leading scorers: all-time – Toni Polster (44); current – Marc Janko (25)
Most appearances: all-time – Andreas Herzog (103); current – Christian Fuchs (72)
Association formed: 1904
Nickname: None
Where they play: Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna
The halcyon days of Austrian football are in the distant past, with third place at the 1954 FIFA World Cup standing as a pinnacle of achievement. In all there have been seven World Cup appearances, the last of them at France '98, but just one until now at the UEFA European Championship – as co-hosts in 2008 when they endured group stage elimination after losing to Germany. Their cross-border rivals proved a stumbling back again in qualification for both UEFA EURO 2012 and the 2014 World Cup, but under Swiss coach Marcel Koller the team cruised to France, winning nine of their ten qualifiers and drawing the other.
UEFA EURO 2008 remains Austria's only tilt at the latter stages of the continental competition and it did not last long. In a tournament they co-hosted with Switzerland, Josef Hickersberger's young team paid for inexperience despite some spirited performances. They lost the opening game to Croatia and after picking up a draw against Poland, bowed out after the group stage following a 1-0 defeat by Germany.
Until UEFA EURO 2016 Austria were never quite able to get across the line in qualifying, their 2012 campaign all too familiar when after a bright start they slipped to fourth. They came close, however, ending a point short of an automatic berth for the 1980 finals and twice defeats in the UK – 1-0 by Wales (1976) and 5-3 in Northern Ireland (1996) – ended their interest.
Memorable EURO matches
08/09/15: Sweden 1-4 Austria UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying
A first UEFA European Championship qualification was clinched with a sumptuous win at the Friends Arena.
12/06/08: Austria 1-1 Poland, UEFA EURO 2008 group stage
Ivica Vastic scored an added-time penalty to earn the co-hosts their first ever finals point.
15/10/67: Austria 1-0 USSR, 1968 UEFA European Championship qualifying
Leopold Grausam earned victory over a side that had reached the first two EURO finals.
Did you know?
At 38 years and 257 days, Vastic became the oldest player to score in a UEFA European Championship when he converted a late penalty against Poland in 2008.
Hungary
Best result: third place 1964
Coach: Bernd Storck
Leading scorers: all-time – Ferenc Puskás (84); current – Zoltán Gera (24)
Most appearances: all-time – József Bozsik (101); current – Gábor Király (100)
Association formed: 1901
Nickname: Mighty Magyars
Where they play: Groupama Aréna, Budapest
Once giants of European and world football, finishing runners-up in the FIFA World Cups of 1938 and 1954 and claiming three Olympic titles, Hungary failed to qualify for 14 successive major tournaments after reaching the 1986 World Cup but ended that miserable run by making it through to UEFA EURO 2016 via the play-offs.
The golden age of Ferenc Puskás, József Bozsik, Sándor Kocsis and the rest of the Mighty Magyars, who reigned supreme in the 1950s, is a distant memory; Hungary finished third and fourth respectively in the UEFA European Championships of 1964 and 1972 but have not featured since.
Flórián Albert inspired Hungary as they finished third in 1964 and fourth in 1972. In 1964 they overcame Wales, East Germany and France before suffering a 2-1 extra-time semi-final defeat by Spain. Three days later Hungary prevailed 3-1 in extra time in the third-place play-off with Denmark, Dezső Novák scoring twice. In 1972 they overcame Romania in a quarter-final replay, but a late penalty miss by Sándor Zámbó confirmed defeat against the USSR and this time the third-place play-off ended in a 2-1 reverse to hosts Belgium.
Hungary's next ten qualifying campaigns were unsuccessful, though under Sándor Egervári they finished a creditable third behind the Netherlands and Sweden in their UEFA EURO 2012 section. The highlight came in the home fixture against Sweden when Gergely Rudolf's 90th-minute goal earned a 2-1 victory. It was Hungary's first competitive win against a team above them in the FIFA world rankings this century.
Memorable EURO matches
15/11/2015: Hungary 2-1 Norway, UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying
Hungary ended their 30-year wait for a major tournament appearance with this play-off second-leg win, qualifying 3-1 on aggregate.
17/05/1972: Hungary 2-1 Romania, 1972 UEFA European Championship quarter-final replay
Hungary sealed a semi-final spot in Belgrade after home and away draws with Romania.
25/04/1964: France 1-3 Hungary, 1964 UEFA European Championship quarter-finals
A comprehensive win in Paris set up Hungary perfectly for the home leg in Budapest.
Did you know?
Hungary often play at a stadium named after their most celebrated player, Ferenc Puskás; the press outside Hungary nicknamed the forward 'The Galloping Major' since, like all his Budapest Honvéd FC club-mates, he was technically a soldier.
GROUP F
Tuesday, June 14: Austria v Hungary (17:00, Stade de Bordeaux)
Tuesday, June 14: Portugal v Iceland (20:00, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, St Etienne)
Saturday, June 18: Iceland v Hungary (17:00, Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Saturday, June 18: Portugal v Austria (20:00, Parc des Princes, Paris)
Wednesday, June 22: Iceland v Austria (17:00, Stade de France)
Wednesday, June 22: Hungary v Portugal (17:00, Stade de Lyon)
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