Denmark faced Czech Republic in the UEFA playoff round in search of a place in the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by United States, Canada, and Mexico, but they suffered a defeat after extra time and penalties, where Denmark missed their chances, and with that result, they were officially eliminated with no opportunity to qualify.
Denmark were eliminated after conceding in the third minute through Pavel Sulc, who finished with his right foot from the center of the box following a corner kick. They regained hope with a 72nd-minute goal from Joachim Andersen, which forced extra time, where both teams scored to make it 2-2 and send the match to penalties. Denmark had previously defeated North Macedonia 4-0 in the same playoff stage.
With this result, Group A will be composed of Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, and Czech Republic. After battling and with more spots available in this edition, Denmark missed the opportunity, while Czech Republic secured their place.
When was the last time Denmark played in a World Cup?
The last time Denmark played in a World Cup was at Qatar 2022. In that tournament, the team coached by Kasper Hjulmand entered with high expectations after reaching the semifinals of the European Championship and delivering a strong qualifying campaign, but their performance fell short.
Mikkel Damsgaard of Denmark looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match.
Denmark were eliminated in the group stage after a scoreless draw against Tunisia and defeats to France, 2-1, and Australia, 1-0, finishing at the bottom of their group.
When was the last time Denmark missed a World Cup?
The last time Denmark missed a World Cup was ahead of the World Cup in Brazil 2014. On that occasion, despite finishing second in their qualifying group behind Italy, they failed to reach the playoffs after being ranked as the lowest second-place team among the UEFA groups.
Before their appearance in Qatar, Denmark had delivered notable performances in previous editions, reaching a total of six World Cup appearances: 1986, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022. Their best result remains the quarterfinal run at France 1998, where they were eliminated in a 3-2 match against Brazil led by Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo. In Russia 2018, they also showed a solid level, reaching the Round of 16, where they were eliminated on penalties by Croatia.
