FILE: Reykjavik, Iceland - July 2, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of sculpture, buildings, pedestrians

Iceland - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Heimir Hallgrimsson, Head Coach, Iceland men's national football team (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"Everybody was an Icelandic person at this time, so it kind of brought people together. That was an enjoyable time for every Icelander not only for us at that time. Hopefully we can repeat it again in Russia."

FILE: Reykjavik, Iceland - July 4, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
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3. Football fans clapping, cheering
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FILE: Reykjavik, Iceland - July 2, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Sculpture of Ingolfur Arnarson

Iceland - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Heimir Hallgrimsson, Head Coach, Iceland men's national football team:
"I am a dentist by profession. In Iceland, to be a dentist is better paid than be a football coach. So it's just because it's my passion."

FILE: Reykjavik, Iceland - July 2, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Various of buildings, traffic

Iceland - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Heimir Hallgrimsson, Head Coach, Iceland men's national football team (partially over laid with shot 8):
"We talked to them about the starting line-up, we talked about how we want to play the game and how we think the opponents will play, so it's a kind of team talk. And now for seven years, full house, nobody has leaked anything on social media. And that is what is special about this relationship, is that, in the world that it is today, it is difficult to trust people. Now we can trust five hundred people or seven hundred people in the pub. Nobody is leaking it out and that shows a huge amount of respect from the fans to the team."

FILE: Reykjavik, Iceland - July 2, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
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8. Residents watching football match on square
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9. Residents watching football match at square

Iceland - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Heimir Hallgrimsson, Head Coach, Iceland men's national football team (partially overlaid with shot 11):
"You start to combine the memories from the past, and when you think about the World Cups in the past, Argentina always seem to be there. Some memories from former great players of the world. So that's more than a football game, for me it's romantic. So we're going there and first game is against the best, and the team has one of the biggest history in World Cup finals. So it's bigger than just a football game."

FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - May 29, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
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11. Various of football fans at friendly match between Argentina, Haiti
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FILE: Moscow, Russia - May 22, 2018 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of football stadium

Iceland, the smallest nation by population in this year's tournament hopes to recreate its Euro 2016 exploit at the upcoming 2018 World Cup in Russia, said Heimir Hallgrimsson, head coach of the Iceland men's national football team.

With a population of only 334,000 people, the Nordic country made history in the European Championship two years ago in France, advancing from the group stage and then dispatching England in the Round of 16 before being eliminated by host France in the last eight.

"Everybody was an Icelandic person at this time, so it kind of brought people together. That was an enjoyable time for every Icelander not only for us at that time. Hopefully we can repeat it again in Russia," Hallgrimsson said.

After shocking the world by reaching the quarterfinals of Euro 2016, the Iceland national team has continued its unexpectedly good form by qualifying for its first World Cup.

The team's head coach, a dentist turned coach said that he started coaching just as a hobby and craze of football.

"I am a dentist by profession. In Iceland, to be a dentist is better paid than be a football coach. So it's just because it's my passion," said the part-time dentist.

Hallgrimsson has been the head coach for seven years, and he has a habit of inviting fans to the bar before each game, discussing tactics, and answering questions.

"We talked to them about the starting line-up, we talked about how we want to play the game and how we think the opponents will play, so it's a kind of team talk. And now for seven years, full house, nobody has leaked anything on social media. And that is what is special about this relationship, is that, in the world that it is today, it is difficult to trust people. Now we can trust five hundred people or seven hundred people in the pub. Nobody is leaking it out and that shows a huge amount of respect from the fans to the team." he said.

Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria have been drawn together in the so-called Group of Death for the World Cup, and the country will face off Argentina to begin.

Hallgrimsson says the football match against Argentina is bigger than just a game, and it is kind of romantic to him.

"You start to combine the memories from the past, and when you think about the World Cups in the past, Argentina always seem to be there. Some memories from former great players of the world. So that's more than a football game, for me it's romantic. So we're going there and first game is against the best, and the team has one of the biggest history in World Cup finals. So it's bigger than just a football game," he said.