Besta deild kvenna
Founded1972.
Country Iceland
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid1
Relegation to1. deild kvenna
Domestic cup(s)Icelandic Cup
League cup(s)Icelandic Football League Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
Current championsValur
(2023)
Most championshipsBreiðablik (18 titles)
Websiteksi.is
Current: 2023 Besta deild kvenna

The Besta deild kvenna is the top-tier women's football league in Iceland. It features 10 teams that play a double round robin to decide the champion, which qualifies for a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League. The 2022 season was the first season of the league after it was rebranded as Besta deild kvenna; previously, it had been named Úrvalsdeild kvenna.[1]

History

The Icelandic women's tournament began in 1972. Eight teams competed in two groups and the top team from each group, FH and Ármann. met in a final where FH won 2–0. In 1976, only five team registered for competition so the group arrangement was abandoned and instead the teams played in one division with home and away games. The following years, fewer and fewer teams participated, due to lack of training, lack of access to Grass fields, and little or none youth programs. After only three teams participating in 1980, the tide turned the following season with five new teams registering for competition and the addition of the Icelandic Women's Football Cup.[2] On 24 February 2022, the league was rebranded as Besta deild kvenna.[3]

Champions

The list of all champions:[4]

By club

Club Titles
Breiðablik 18
Valur 14
KR 6
FH 4
Stjarnan 4
ÍA 3
Þór/KA 2
Ármann 1

Players

Players of the year

Year Player Club
1986
 Iceland Kristín Arnþórsdóttir Valur
1987
 Iceland Guðrún Sæmundsdóttir Valur
1988
 Iceland Guðrún Sæmundsdóttir Valur
1989
 Iceland Arna Steinsen KR
1990
 Iceland Vanda Sigurgeirsdóttir Breiðablik
1991
 Iceland Laufey Sigurðardóttir ÍA
1992
 Iceland Jónína Víglundsdóttir ÍA
1993
 Iceland Jónína Víglundsdóttir ÍA
1994
 Iceland Margrét Ólafsdóttir Breiðablik
1995
 Iceland Guðlaug Jónsdóttir KR
1996
 Iceland Ásthildur Helgadóttir Breiðablik
1997
 Iceland Guðrún Jóna Kristjánsdóttir KR
1998
 Iceland Olga Færseth KR
1999
 Iceland Guðlaug Jónsdóttir KR
2000
 Iceland Rakel Ögmundsdóttir Breiðablik
2001
 Iceland Olga Færseth KR
2002
 Iceland Ásthildur Helgadóttir Breiðablik
2003
 Iceland Ásthildur Helgadóttir Breiðablik
2004
 Iceland Laufey Ólafsdóttir Valur
2005
 Iceland Laufey Ólafsdóttir Valur
2006
 Iceland Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir Valur
2007
 Iceland Hólmfríður Magnúsdóttir KR
2008
 Iceland Dóra María Lárusdóttir Valur
2009
 Iceland Katrín Jónsdóttir Valur
2010
 Iceland Dóra María Lárusdóttir Valur
2011
 Iceland Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir Stjarnan
2012
 United States Chantel Jones Þór/KA
2013
 Iceland Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir Stjarnan
2014
 Iceland Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir Stjarnan
2015
 Iceland Fanndís Friðriksdóttir Breiðablik
2016
 Iceland Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir Stjarnan
2017
 Mexico Stephany Mayor[10] Þór/KA
2018
 Iceland Sandra Jessen[11] Þór/KA
2019
 Iceland Elín Metta Jensen[12] Valur
2020
 Iceland Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir Breiðablik
2021
 Iceland Agla María Albertsdóttir Breiðablik

Source:[13]

Top goalscorers of all time

# Player Years Goals Apps Goals per game
1 Olga Færseth 1992–2008 269 217 1.24
2 Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir 2000–2008, 2016-2019 207 143 1.46
3 Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir 2002–2018 181 252 0.72
4 Ásta Breiðfjörð Gunnlaugsdóttir 1976–1995 154 143 1.08
Helena Ólafsdóttir 1986–2001 154 193 0.80
6 Hrefna Huld Jóhannesdóttir 1995–2009 147 176 0.84
7 Laufey Sigurðardóttir 1981–1998 137 178 0.77
Berglind Björg Þorvaldsdóttir 2007–2020 137 190 0.72
9 Ásthildur Helgadóttir 1991–2003 133 153 0.87
10 Elín Metta Jensen 2010– 126 169 0.75
11 Rakel Hönnudóttir 2006–2017, 2020 125 215 0.58
12 Hólmfríður Magnúsdóttir 2000–2008, 2011, 2017-2021 124 167 0.75
13 Fanndís Friðriksdóttir 2005–2012, 2014–2017, 2018- 111 216 0.51
14 Kristín Ýr Bjarnadóttir 2000–2004, 2008–2011, 2013–2016 102 153 0.67
15 Ásgerður Ingibergsdóttir 1992–2005 97 162 0.60
16 Dóra María Lárusdóttir 2001–2010, 2012–2014, 2016–2021 94 269 0.35
17 Guðrún Jóna Kristjánsdóttir 1985–2004 91 215 0.42
Rakel Logadóttir 1997–2014 91 216 0.42
19 Kristrún Lilja Daðadóttir 1986-2002 87 172 0.51
20 Björk Gunnarsdóttir 2001–2014 86 173 0.50

Source: KSI

Top scorers by season

Season Name Goals Club
1990 Iceland Helena Ólafsdóttir
7
 KR
1991 Iceland Laufey Sigurðardóttir
16
 ÍA
1992 Iceland Guðný Guðnadóttir
15
 Stjarnan
1993 Iceland Guðný Guðnadóttir
12
 Stjarnan
1994 Iceland Olga Færseth
24
 Breiðablik
1995 Iceland Margrét Rannveig Ólafsdóttir
13
 Breiðablik
1996 Iceland Ásthildur Helgadóttir
17
 Breiðablik
1997 Iceland Olga Færseth
19
 KR
1998 Iceland Olga Færseth
23
 KR
1999 Iceland Ásgerður Hildur Ingibergsdóttir
20
 Valur
2000 Iceland Olga Færseth
26
 KR
2001 Iceland Olga Færseth
28
 KR
2002 Iceland Olga Færseth
20
 KR
Iceland Ásthildur Helgadóttir KR
2003 Iceland Hrefna Huld Jóhannesdóttir
21
 KR
2004 Iceland Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir
23
 ÍBV
2005 Iceland Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir
23
 Valur
2006 Iceland Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir
34
 Valur
2007 Iceland Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir
38
 Valur
2008 Iceland Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir
32
 Valur
2009 Iceland Kristín Ýr Bjarnadóttir
23
 Valur
Iceland Rakel Hönnudóttir Þór/KA
2010 Iceland Kristín Ýr Bjarnadóttir
23
 Valur
2011 United States Ashley Bares
21
 Stjarnan
2012 Iceland Elín Metta Jensen
18
 Valur
Iceland Sandra María Jessen Þór/KA
2013 Iceland Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir
28
 Stjarnan
2014 Iceland Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir
27
 Stjarnan
2015 Iceland Fanndís Friðriksdóttir
19
 Valur
2016 Iceland Harpa Þorsteinsdóttir
20
 Stjarnan
2017 Mexico Stephany Mayor
19
 Þór/KA
2018 Iceland Berglind Björg Þorvaldsdóttir
19
 Breiðablik
2019 Iceland Berglind Björg Þorvaldsdóttir
16
 Breiðablik
Iceland Hlín Eiríksdóttir Valur
Iceland Elín Metta Jensen Valur
2020 Iceland Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir
14
 Breiðablik
Iceland Agla María Albertsdóttir Breiðablik
2021 United States Brenna Lovera
13
 Selfoss
2022 Iceland Jasmín Erla Ingadóttir
11
 Stjarnan

See also

References

  1. ^ Helga Margrét Höskuldsdóttir (24 February 2022). "Nýtt vörumerki með rætur íslenskri knattspyrnusögu". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  2. ^ Bylgja Eybjörg Arnarsdóttir. "Kvennaknattspyrna í Evrópu: Saga og þróun" (PDF). Skemman (in Icelandic). National and University Library of Iceland. p. 22. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  3. ^ Helga Margrét Höskuldsdóttir (24 February 2022). "Nýtt vörumerki með rætur íslenskri knattspyrnusögu". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Íslandsmeistarar í kvennaflokkum" [Icelandic champions in women's categories] (in Icelandic). KSÍ. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Stjarnan women win 1st championship" (in Icelandic). stjarnan.is. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Stjarnan storm to Iceland's women's title". freenewspos.com. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  7. ^ Leifsson, Anton Ingi (17 September 2018). "Breiðablik Íslandsmeistari í sautjánda sinn". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  8. ^ Jónsson, Kristján (21 September 2019). "Valur Íslandsmeistari í ellefta sinn". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  9. ^ Sigurdórsson, Guðmundur Karl (1 October 2022). "Valskonur fögnuðu titlinum eftir jafntefli" [Valskonur celebrated the title after a draw]. mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  10. ^ Gunnarsson, Henry Birgir (October 2, 2017). "Andri og Mayor best". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  11. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (22 September 2018). "Sandra best, Alexandra efnilegust og Bríet besti dómarinn". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  12. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson, Svava Kristín Gretarsdóttir (29 September 2019). "Elín Metta og Óskar Örn best, Finnur og Hlín efnilegust". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Women's Players' Footballer of the Year". KSI.is. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2017.

External links

Besta deild kvenna
Football in Iceland
Top level women's football leagues of Europe (UEFA)
Top level women's association football leagues around the world
Categories