Denmark’s footballing pedigree has long been impressive, without overly impressing. If that makes sense. There have always been standout players, the type of player that the world looks on in awe at. But then as a team, they’ve rarely been able to challenge in the way that a France, a Spain or a Germany might.
While the days of the Laudrups, Simmonsen and Schmeichel, the elder, may be gone, it’s still the case, with the likes of Schmeichel, the younger, Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have paved their own path over the last decade. And while they haven’t quite hit the heights on Euro 92, there have been semi finals and plenty of memorable moments over the last decade, both among the men’s and women’s national team.
The Danes are looking to make memories once again in the Women’s Euros this summer, before the men take part in the World Cup at the end of this coming season. Not that it’s looking hopeful that either will do anything awe-inspiring. In fact, MightyTips, a reviewer of the top Danish bookmakers, have found that most bookmakers are pricing the Danish women at around 80/1 to win the competition, and around 50/1 for the men next year.
But, the same would have been said 33 years ago, when the Danes didn’t even qualify for the tournament but managed to win it!
With the domestic season bookended by international competition, we teamed up with MightTips’ resident international football expert, Kate Richardson, to run down her top five most memorable games for the Danish over the last 10 years…
2017: Germany 1-2 Denmark – Women’s Euro 2017
After making it through the Group Stage, Denmark’s women couldn’t have asked for a more difficult tie to progress into the semi finals. Germany were on the hunt for a seventh consecutive European Championship, a run of 22 years.
It wasn’t looking good either. The game had been delayed 24 hours due to rain, and Germany got off to a great start, taking the lead inside three minutes. Business as usual? Not exactly.
The Danes equalised just after half time thanks to Nadia Nadim, before a late winner from Theresa Edlund secured victory and Germany’s only third ever defeat in the history of the competition.
2020: England 0-1 Denmark – UEFA Nations League
A win at Wembley, the home of football, is a major achievement for any team, and it’s no different for the Danes. In the context of the tournament itself, it didn’t really mean anything, but that was certainly both a standout result and performance.
It was one of the Danes most composed performances in recent years, benefitting from Harry Maguire being sent off in the first half. A Kyle Walker foul on Thomas Delaney earned the visitors a penalty, with Christain Eriksen duly converting on his 100th appearance for his nation.
England pushed in the second half, but the solidity and tactical nous of the away side secured three points and a memorable win.
2021: Denmark 4-1 Russia – Euro 2020
Denmark’s Euro 2020 campaign is certainly one that will live long in the memory. Following the cardiac arrest of Christian Eriksen against Finland in the group’s opener, emotions were high in the Danish camp, but they rallied with quite remarkable spirit to run all the way to the semi finals.
The second group game, and first following Eriksen’s collapse, was against Russia and the Danes put on a remarkable display with beautiful attacking football to thump their opposition 4-1 to qualify for the knockout stages and send a strong message of support to their teammate watching on from his hospital bed.
Such was the strength of the victory, Guardian journalist David Wall wrote: “Whenever a manager complains about fixture congestion, timing of matches, tiredness, etc all the pundits weigh in saying that you should never give players excuses for under-performing because they’ll take them.
“But the Danes are giving the lie to that dogma. If any team had an excuse to under-perform it would have been them. Instead they’ve risen to the special challenges thrown up for them, and are going to be rewarded. I’d be worried if I was in the Welsh camp.”
2021: Wales 0-4 Denmark – Euro 2020
And Wales would suffer a similar fate, with Denmark’s run starting to be reminiscent of a fairytale. But could they end it in style for Eriksen, watching on after his horror incident. The Round of 16 game certainly suggested so.
The fluid, attacking football on display in Amsterdam was like a certain Mr Cruyff on his home patch, and both that, and Eriksen, wasn’t far from the manager’s mind, as he said following the 4-0 thrashing to take them into the quarter finals.
Kasper Hjulmand said in his post match interview: “Cruyff is one of my greatest inspirations and knowing this was one of Christian’s first homes and knowing this is where he played one of his first games at 16 years old… he’s with us, and I would have loved for him to have been here.”
Going all the way wasn’t to be though. While they beat France in the Quarter Final with another remarkable performance, they couldn’t quite get beyond England in the semis, settling for third place but an incredible run all the same.
2022: Denmark 3-0 Serbia – Friendly
It’s not often a friendly makes a list of top games, but this was no ordinary friendly. Christian Eriksen made his return to international duty, walking out on the very same pitch he’d collapsed 290 days previous.
The atmosphere was electric at the Parken Stadium, with fans visibly emotional. After all, nobody expected the legend to step out onto a football pitch again. Eriksen capped the night off with a goal, with the Danes securing a 3-0 win over a strong Serbian side.
It was a strong reminder of the power of football and the human’s ability to overcome adversity in a memorable night and a perfect showing of why we call it the beautiful game.
A Memorable 12 Months for the Danes?
The next year provides plenty of opportunity for the Danish to make a further mark on world football, both in the men’s and the women’s game.
There’s a tricky group for the women to get through in the Euros, particularly after a slow start against Sweden, but they still have every chance. Meanwhile, the men have a manageable group in qualification to secure their place at the World Cup next year.
We’ve long seen the nation has it in their locker to pull off big wins when it matters. So, who’s to say that 2025/26 isn’t a big year for the country?
The article is written by Kate Richardson