Hosts France brought Iceland's fairy tale run at football's Euro 2016 to a grinding halt with a 5-2 win over the rank outsiders in the last quarter-final.
France's Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring a goal against Iceland. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The win at the Stade de France in Paris earns France a mouth-watering semi-final against Germany.
Iceland's resistance was broken after 12 minutes when Blaise Matuidi's pass over Iceland's defence sent Olivier Giroud clear and he placed an angled shot past keeper Hannes Halldorsson.
Paul Pogba headed the second in the 20th and France ended Iceland's hopes when Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann scored twice in three minutes to give the hosts a 4-0 lead at half-time.
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson turned in Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross in the 56th minute to give Iceland some faint hope, but Giroud then scored his second when he headed in Payet's free kick three minutes later.
Iceland's Birkir Bjarnason got a consolation goal six minutes from time and they can head home from France with their heads held high and their giant-killing run written in the history books.
-Reuters/RNZ
