For Icelandic goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson, "don’t quit your day job" is a mantra he’s taken literally.
Just two days before Iceland’s team went into a training camp for the World Cup, he was directing a commercial to air during the Cup for Coca-Cola.
And four years ago, Halldorsson directed Iceland’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a video for musical duo Greta Salome & Jonsi’s tune, Never Forget.
The footballer has been lauded by fans after successfully blocking a penalty shot by Argentinian star Lionel Messi when Iceland and Argentina faced off on Saturday.
Iceland, the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the World Cup, took on one of the best teams with the one of the best players in Messi, finishing with a notable 1-1 draw.
Halldorsson, who was named man of the match, said he prepared by doing lots of homework ahead of the game by watching penalties from Messi.
“And I also looked back at some of the penalties I had faced and what he might be expecting from me,” Halldorsson said in a post-match interview.
“I had a good feeling he would put it that way.”
He isn’t the only one from the team with another - and very different - career. Iceland’s coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is also a dentist.
