Since its remarkable run at Euro 2021, Denmark has fallen back into the pack. The Scandinavian nation will be one of the major absentees from the 2026 World Cup following a qualifying campaign that was effectively sabotaged.
Italy’s disastrous campaign, which will see them miss out on a third consecutive World Cup, is naturally the talk of the town, but Denmark’s failure to qualify for the next World Cup is also worth a closer look.
A rising force in European football over the last decade and still ranked 20th in the FIFA rankings – evidence of a certain consistency in their results – the Scandinavian side has suffered a string of disappointments in major tournaments.
A baffling failure to qualify
Their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, following a penalty shoot-out defeat to the Czech Republic (2-2, 1-3 on penalties) on Tuesday in the play-off final, amounts to a perfectly executed act of self-sabotage. After three wins and a draw in the group stage, the Danish Dynamites could have secured their World Cup place as early as November by beating Belarus at home. To everyone’s surprise, Brian Riemer’s men were unable to beat the 97th-ranked FIFA nation at Parken (2-2), despite 35 shots on goal during the match. Copenhagen had to put the lid back on the Carlsberg.
Despite everything, Denmark could still secure qualification three days later provided they didn’t lose in Scotland, and once again, despite being utterly dominant but hampered by Rasmus Kristensen’s sending-off, the Rød-Hvide saw the World Cup slip through their fingers as they lost 2–4 after conceding two goals in stoppage time. That left the play-offs as a lifeline, and whilst North Macedonia (4-0) proved a modest hurdle in the semi-finals, the Danes once again paid the price for their lack of clinical finishing in the final against the Czech Republic.
A gradual collapse
Consistently superior to every opponent they faced, virtually qualified by November, Denmark ultimately found themselves left behind in April. The Scandinavian nation failed to capitalise on their epic run at Euro 2021 – from which they were eliminated in a nail-biting semi-final by England (1-2 a.e.t.) – to take their game to the next level. Having been knocked out in the group stage of a lacklustre 2022 World Cup, then in the round of 16 of a lacklustre Euro 2024, Denmark will not be heading to America this summer.
This setback is a fatal blow for a nation that had been making progress on the European stage in recent years, with a confident attacking style, and which had been successfully blending the new generation (Mikkel Damsgaard, Victor Froholdt) with experienced stalwarts (Christian Eriksen, Kasper Schmeichel, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg). Denmark will have to reinvent itself to create a new dynamic, which will likely involve moving away from building the future on the foundations of the past.
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