REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Åge Hareide, a seasoned coach, has stepped down from his position with the Iceland national soccer team just before the commencement of World Cup qualifying. He has also expressed intentions to retire from coaching altogether.

The Icelandic football association made the announcement regarding the 71-year-old Hareide’s resignation in a statement released late on a Monday evening.

“I have enjoyed my time with the Icelandic national team, but I believe that now is the right time to retire,” Hareide stated, as quoted in the federation’s release. He remarked that there are “exciting times ahead” for a team that is witnessing the emergence of young leaders ready to take charge.

The next coach will lead the team in matches against Kosovo in March, which are crucial for a promotion-relegation playoff in the Nations League. The winner of this matchup will move on to the second tier of the competition in its next edition.

When FIFA conducts the draw for European World Cup qualifying groups on December 13, Iceland will be placed among the third-seeded teams. Only the winners of the groups will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, an event that will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Iceland remarkably participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, making history as the smallest nation to qualify for the tournament.

A former international defender for Norway, Hareide previously managed the Norwegian national team for five years until 2008. He later went on to coach Denmark at the 2018 World Cup, where they reached the round of 16 before being eliminated by Croatia through a penalty shootout. Hareide also played a significant role in Denmark’s qualification for the European Championship in 2021.

Hareide took the helm of the Icelandic team during the Euro 2024 qualifying phase, where the team narrowly missed out on the tournament by losing a playoff final to Ukraine in March.