Nickname: De Rød-Hvide (The Red-White), Danish Dynamite
Appearances: 4 (1986, 98, 2002, 2010)
FIFA ranking: 12
Best Finish: Quarterfinals (1998)
Coach: Age Hareide
For a decade-and-a-half, under former Ajax coach Morten Olsen, Denmark played football according to the famed Dutch principles.
Players, including talisman Christian Eriksen, were schooled in these methods. But non qualification for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euro resulted in an identity crisis and Olsen was sacked.
Under Age Hareide, the new coach, Denmark slowly started moving away from possession football and the outcome has been spectacular. The result which signalled the most definite break from the past was the side’s 4-0 thrashing of group-topper Poland with a direct style of play unseen before. Denmark went unbeaten in 2017, a run which included the 5-1 demolition of Ireland in the qualification playoff.
Hareide’s pragmatism has enabled the Scandinavian powerhouse identify a spine. In front of goalie Kasper Schmeichel, Andreas Bjelland and Simon Kjaer form a formidable centre-back pairing, so much so that Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen isn’t first choice. From the midfield, Thomas Delaney and Eriksen will pull the strings while one of Nicolai Jorgensen, Andreas Cornelius and Nicklas Bendtner is likely to play as a striker.
While Denmark’s new-found zeal may not be enough to topple France, it should help overcome Peru and Australia and thus guarantee progress from Group C.
The Goal-poacher:
Christian Eriksen (11 goals)
Christian Eriksen is Denmark's heartbeat. Almost every attacking move invariably goes through him. Not only does he possess a defence-splitting pass, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder's delivery is excellent and he is dangerous from dead-ball situations. And above all, he scores. In the qualifying campaign, Eriksen's 11 goals were more than any other midfielder's tally. In fact only Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo outscored him in Europe. The splendid hat-trick against Ireland in the playoff to seal Denmark's passage to Russia is testament to this.
The Orchestrator:
Thomas Delaney
Ever since Age Hareide changed Denmark into a more direct side from its earlier idealistic possession-heavy avatar, Thomas Delaney, a box-to-box midfielder has benefitted the most. After Eriksen, he was his nation's next highest scorer with four goals. These were the first international goals Delaney had ever scored. Currently contracted to Werder Bremen in Germany, a good showing at the World Cup is sure to attract high-profile suitors.
Did you know:
When Denmark last played at a World Cup in South Africa 2010, Christian Eriksen, at 18 years and four months, was the youngest player in that tournament.
Number stat:
34 — The number of places Denmark moved in the FIFA rankings from being ranked a lowly 46 at the start of 2017.
Coach quote:
“For us, I think it’s the ability we have to play in different ways. We have a physical presence up front but we also have players with good technical ability. The extraordinary skills of Christian Eriksen give us something extra in that respect."
