Iceland captain Aron Gunnarsson has credited "Icelandic craziness" for his nation's historic drive to Euro 2016 qualification on Wednesday.
Iceland, the smallest nation to ever reach a major tournament, defeated Austria 2-1 in their Group F finale, securing a runners-up finish and a round of 16 date with England in the knockout stages.
The victory continues Lars Lagerback's men's improbable journey in the competition, and Gunnarsson revealed what gave the team their strength in a tense battle at the Stade de France.
"This is what we stand for. We fight for our country, and this team of ours is just an incredible team. I don't fully understand how we've managed to do this. Before the game four or five of us were unsure, but we continued. What's just happened shows the character of Icelanders.
"Our national handball team has done this many times, and in the same way as they've been able to take their drive from the Icelandic craziness, so have we this time. We just looked at the Icelandic craziness and used it today. I'm really moved, what can you say after a game like this?"
Lagerback called the qualification the fruit of many years of hard work. The former Sweden boss hailed his side's "attitude" and "character" in his postmatch media session.
"Yes, it's absolutely fantastic of course. I'm extremely happy, but I'm even more happy for the players and the staff. The way they have been working all these years, and now being in the finals for the first time, and the attitude, the character, the working performance.
"Most of the first half we showed that we really can play football; then it was a little bit back to old behaviours, we dropped [back] a little bit. But it was really hot today, so it's difficult when everybody realises you have to defend a result, so I can definitely respect them for that, even if I would wish we could have held it a little bit better in the second half. But absolutely fantastic, of course."
Lagerback admitted to feeling the pressure of the moment as the match drew to a close, saying: "There was a little bit more tension in me on the bench the last 10 [minutes].
"Normally I'm pretty calm, but this time it was really ... because you want it so much for Iceland and the fans, they're fantastic, so it's not only you and the team, it's so much more. So there was a little bit of extra tension at the end of the second half."
The manager had never lost to the Three Lions during his time in charge of Sweden. He's hoping that positive run will continue in the knockout stages.
"Any team you get now will be very tough for us, of course. But playing England is rather nice; I never lost against them with Sweden, we played five or six times," Lagerback said.
"So let's hope we can stick to that. But now, the best thing with coming second is that we get four rest days now, and we can really reload and hopefully we can go out and put some questions to the England team even if, of course, they're the favourites."