Iceland's ice-cool goalkeeper reveals how he thwarted Messi

Spot of bother: Lionel Messi came unstuck from 12 yards against Iceland
Spot of bother: Lionel Messi came unstuck from 12 yards against Iceland

Iceland’s penalty saving hero Hannes Halldorsson says his homework paid off.

The keeper, who kept out mega star Lionel Messi from the penalty spot, earned a fantastic point in his country’s first ever World Cup match.

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Argentina couldn’t get past him in the second half and his brilliance on his line secured a fantastic 1-1 draw for the competition’s smallest nation.

Cheers, mate: Hannes Haldorsson gets a cuddle after the big moment
Cheers, mate: Hannes Haldorsson gets a cuddle after the big moment

Haldorsson revealed hours spent looking closely at the Barcelona man’s technique helped him guess right.

“I did some homework,” he said after. “It was a situation I knew could come up.

World Cup: Russia 2018 venues (PA)
World Cup: Russia 2018 venues (PA)

“It was is a long shot, but it happened. I looked at a lot of penalties from Messi and wanted to get into his mind and what he would think about me.

“I had a good feeling he would go that way today,” added the part-time director.

“We were playing against one of the best teams in the world, against the best players in the world, in our first World Cup.”