90min

England's Game Against Iceland to Be Held at Wembley With Government Travel Exemption

By Matt O'Connor-Simpson

Wembley Stadium will host England and Iceland on Wednesday
Wembley Stadium will host England and Iceland on Wednesday / Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images
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The FA have confirmed that England's Nations League game against Iceland will be held at Wembley after the government agreed to exempt the Three Lions' opponents from the Denmark travel ban.

Uncertainty over fixture was caused by the fact that Iceland were scheduled to travel to Denmark prior to Wednesday's game in the capital. Currently, all incoming flights from the country are banned by the UK government due to COVID-19 concerns.

The FA had been seeking a travel exemption for England's opponents, with a Twitter spokesperson for the governing body announcing that the request had been granted on Thursday evening.

England bested Iceland 1-0 last time the two sides met
England bested Iceland 1-0 last time the two sides met / Haflidi Breidfjord/Getty Images

The exemption came after a period of intense lobbying with the FA releasing a statement detailing their argument earlier in the day.

"We have asked Government to consider allowing us to play our final UEFA Nations League match at Wembley Stadium, by giving travel exemption to the Icelandic team subject to strict medical protocols," it read (via the Telegraph).

"The Icelandic team will have played Denmark in Copenhagen and therefore would be subject to a travel ban. While in Denmark they will have been under strict UEFA protocols in a sporting bubble and will be PCR tested before travelling to England. The PCR test picks up the Cluster 5 variant."

The FA went on to detail the extra coronavirus prevention measures that will be put in place for Iceland, including additional testing, a private airport terminal and the maintenance of a bio-secure bubble.

They also denied that they were seeking the exemption to maintain home advantage, insisting 'the priority must be health'.

The game will be England's final Nations League match of the 'season'. The Three Lions currently sit third in League A Group 2 knowing that even back-to-back wins over Belgium and Iceland may not be enough to secure top spot.