Yeah I know, it’s hardly a preview when the league is four rounds in already. I’ll of course be factoring these early results in to what I think of the teams’ chances – they mean as much as any others – but it’s a long way off from defining their entire league campaigns. Probably not much of what I’m writing here will be particularly incisive, so take it more like an opinion.
Afturelding
Location: Mosfellsbær
Home venue: Malbikstöðin að Varmá
Head Coach: Magnús Már Einarsson
2024: promoted from playoffs
First 4 Games: LDWL – 9th place, 4 points
It’s almost hard to believe that the premier team from a town so close to the capital has never been in the top division before now. It’s maybe a good year for it with some question marks around other teams and the previous pair of promoted teams still around. It will hardly take a tale as unexpected as one written by Halldór Laxness for them to survive, but wins like their first against Víkingur will continue to be seen as shocks.
B11’s player to watch: Elmar Kári Enesson Cogic – he’s someone I was surprised to see not snapped up by a besta deild club after the 2023 season where he scored 17 times in 21 games. 2024 saw a regression in goal total but I’m still intrigued to see what he does at this level.
Breiðablik
Location: Kópavogur
Home venue: Kópavogsvöllur
Head Coach: Halldór Árnason
2024: Champions
First 4 Games: WLWW – 1st place, 9 points
The real challenge for reigning champions in recent years has been when European competition starts up. Blikar have the experience and reputation for it now though and might be well placed to be the first club to retain the league trophy since Valur in 2018.
B11’s player to watch: Tobias Thomsen is arguably the biggest addition for Breiðablik through the transfer window. The Dane is familiar with Icelandic football having been part of that 2018 Valur squad and then won the league again in 2019 with KR.
FH
Location: Hafnarfjörður
Home venue: Kaplariki
Head Coach: Heimir Guðjónsson
2024: 6th
First 4 Games: LLDL – 12th place, 1 point
FH has been one of the better clubs in the 21st Century but are in a precarious position in 2025. These poor performances may be all that count right now, but they are off the back of an awful end to last season where they crept into the top half, thanks in part to the futility of others, and then languished. Their last 11 Besta deild matches have produced nothing better than 3 draws.
B11’s player to watch: Bragi Karl Bjarkason is an exciting signing from ÍR, where he scored 36 goals across all competitions over the past two seasons. He’s yet to score or play a full match in Besta deild, but I’m excited to see him progress.
Fram
Location: Grafarholt og Úlfarsárdalur, Reykjavík
Home venue: Lambhagavöllurinn
Head Coach: Rúnar Kristinsson
2024: 9th
First 4 Games: LwLW – 6th place, 6 points
There might not be a team that exemplifies the league better than Fram, a four-letter team name that can’t be spelled without the word “unpredictable”. Their comeback against Breiðablik showed what they are capable of, just don’t ask them to do it every week.
B11’s player to watch: Kennie Chopart is another Dane very familiar with this country and especially so with how Rúnar Kristinsson likes to play football.
ÍA
Location: Akranes
Home venue: ELKEM völlurinn; Akraneshöllin*
Head Coach: Jón Þór Hauksson
2024: 5th
First 4 Games: WLLL – 11th place, 3 points
Perhaps down is the only way to go after being a surprise package in 2024. Their 5th place finish as a promoted team was unexpected but they very much looked the part, however much like FH their 2025 start feels like a continuation of the tribulations that come from having to play the league’s best sides after the split and have now lost 7 from 9.
B11’s player to watch: Viktor Jónsson was last years pre-split top scorer in Besta deild, but he’s yet to get off the mark this year (in the league). The experienced forward had 21 top division goals, spread out since 2011, before adding 16 last year. It would be nice to see him get back to 2024 form.
ÍBV
Location: Vestmannaeyjar
Home venues: Hásteinsvöllur; Þórsvöllur*
Head Coach: Þorlákur Árnason
2024: promoted as champions
First 4 Games: LDWW – 4th place, 7 points
Hoping to mirror the success ÍA had last year, the Islanders have done pretty well so far. This is mAYbe the height of things for putting too much stock into 4 games, and I think it is interesting that their draw was against the other team that was promoted.
B11’s player to watch: Omar Sowe is yet another prolific goalscorer from Lengjudeild signed this winter to try and mimic that success at the top level. He had 25 goals the last two years with leiknir.
KA
Location: Akureyri
Home venue: Greifavöllurinn
Head Coach: Hallgrímur Jónasson
2024: 7th
First 4 Games: DLLW – 10th place, 4 points
KA is a team in limbo I think. The 2nd place finish in 2022 was not a mirage, but they have just struggled to replace key pieces of the squad to the same degree that the other title contenders of the time have. That’s kind of disappointing for what should be the premier club in the north of the country, and I have to assume it won’t stay the case forever. That said, a relegation scrap isn’t out of the question.
B11’s player to watch: Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson is closing in on 500 games across all competitions, having joined KA from Völsungur in 2009. He is vital to any success the club is going to have in 2025.
KR
Location: Vesturbær, Reykjavík
Home venue: Meistaravellir; AVIS völlurinn*
Head Coach: Óskar Hrafn Þorvaldsson
2024: 8th
First 4 Games: DDDW – 5th place, 6 points
This might be a make or break season for the countries oldest and most successful club. Some of what has gone on with the carousel of staff and players looks downright dysfunctional from the outside, but it has supposedly got KR to right where they now want to be. The “make” of my first sentence isn’t a title challenge, but it has to at least look like it’s trending in that direction, or that last win in 2019 keeps looking further away.
B11’s player to watch: Jóhannes Kristinn Bjarnason – the kid who came back has to do it again, but instead of Sweden the return is from a horrific injury that limited him to 4 games last year.
Stjarnan
Location: Garðabær
Home venue: Samsungvöllurinn
Head Coach: Jökull Elísabetarson
2024: 4th
First 4 Games: WWLL – 8th place, 6 points
Teams like Stjarnan honestly drive me a bit crazy. They will frustrate teams in their wins and then it almost feels inevitable when a team like Breiðablik score a stoppage time winner on them. I think they have a higher floor and ceiling than other recent middle of the pack teams, but they need to get out of their own way.
B11’s player to watch: Örvar Eggertsson, who was seen as an exciting signing from HK last year and a very good player since, but I think he still has more to show.
Valur
Location: Hlíðarendi, Reykjavík
Home venue: N1-völlurinn Hlíðarenda
Head Coach: Srdjan Tufegdzic
2024: 3rd
First 4 Games: DDWD – 7th place, 6 points
Valur will always have a good squad to put on the pitch, but it just always feels like anything less than the title is a failure for them. I don’t know if they’ve really continued to improve at the same rate as the other contenders so I don’t see this being their year.
B11’s player to watch: Adam Ægir Pálsson can maybe play a larger role now that the Italian rollercoaster has come to a stop.
Vestri
Location: Ísafjörður
Home venue: Kerecisvöllurinn
Head Coach: Davíð Smári Lamude
2024: 10th
First 4 Games: DWWL – 3rd place, 7 points
I mean no disrespect but I was surprised that Vestri avoided relegation last year, but they only stayed up on goal difference in the end. Despite such a positive start in 2025, I think it would be wise to temper expectations, as I think building on last year with another bottom half finish is the way to go. The aim should moreso be to improve on the points total of last year and leave a more comfortable gap to the drop zone.
B11’s player to watch: Guy Smit has earned the goalkeeper job in Vestri and has already had 2 clean sheets, halfway to his total at KR last year
Víkingur reykjavík
Location: Fossvogur, Reykjavík
Home venue: Víkingsvöllur
Head Coach: Sölvi Geir Ottesen
2024: 2nd
First 4 Games: WWLD – 2nd place, 7 points.
I may end up eating my words, but the top 2 at the end of the season might already be in place. Víkingur simply appeared to be taking care of business in the first two games, but cruide control was brought to an abrupt halt in the defeat to Afturelding. Despite drawing with them, I just see so much more of a challlenger in the Víks than Vals.
B11’s player to watch: Daníel Hafsteinsson is the kind of signing that makes the point that Víkingur are a club that can replace top talent with more of the same.
Home Venues marked with a * indicate that they are temporarily used by that team due to renovation or poor weather making their main home unfit for use.
- ÍA: Akraneshöllin is an indoor facility adjacent to the main venue, used for practice and matches for other teams. Their game against Vestri was moved here due to the outdoor pitch being deemed unfit by match officials
- ÍBV: Þórsvöllur is another pitch in the clubs’ complex of facilities. They are using this during relaying of the main pitch. The first home game at Hásteinsvöllur is scheduled for May 18th.
- KR: AVIS völlurinn is the home of another club, Þróttur. KR are using the venue while their grass pitch is replaced with artificial turf. The first home game back at Meistaravellir was due to be on May 10th, but now looks to be June 1st.