Stjarnan GarðabærStjarnan is an Icelandic football club based in Garðabær, a town adjoining Reykjavík. The football department operates within the multi-sport association Ungmennafélagið Stjarnan, founded on 30 November 1960. For decades the club lived in the shadow of bigger capital-area rivals, reaching the top division in 1980 and again in 2000, before settling permanently among Iceland's elite from 2009 onward.
The turning point in the club's history came in the 2014 season, when Stjarnan won its first-ever national championship, the Úrvalsdeild karla. The team went through the entire league campaign unbeaten, equalling the competition's points record with 52.
The title opened the door to the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League qualifiers. Stjarnan first beat Scotland's Motherwell after extra time (3–2, 5–4 on aggregate), then eliminated Poland's Lech Poznań, winning the first leg 1–0 and drawing 0–0 away. In the next round the Icelanders faced Inter Milan: at Iceland's national stadium in Reykjavík, watched by almost 10,000 spectators, the Italians won 3–0, and the return leg at the San Siro ended in a 6–0 defeat, giving Inter a 9–0 aggregate win.
The club's honours also include the Icelandic Cup, won in 2018, and the Icelandic Super Cup, claimed in 2019 after a penalty shoot-out victory over Valur (6–5).
Beyond results on the pitch, Stjarnan gained worldwide attention for its elaborate, choreographed goal celebrations - including staged fishing scenes, a "human toilet" and routines modelled on Rambo films - which spread across international media and made the club recognisable far beyond Iceland.
The club's colours are blue and white, and home matches are played at Samsung völlurinn in Garðabær.
Today Stjarnan remains one of the more recognisable sides in the Besta deild karla, combining the tradition of a local multi-sport association with the international fame earned through its unconventional approach to celebrating goals.
