 After heavy discussions with RBK (Erik Hoftun, Terje Svendsen, Nils Skutle, Lars Aune), Hamren eventually was confirmed as manager for the Swedish national team.On 16 October 2012, he presided over a game where the national team finished with a 4–4 draw from 4–0 down in Berlin against Germany in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group C. Hamrén qualified Sweden for Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, before stepping down as the manager of Sweden.On 8 August 2018, Hamrén was named as manager of the Iceland national football team, where he succeeded Heimir Hallgrímsson.