Denmark will aim to emulate their emotionally charged run to the Euro 2020 semifinals in Qatar, minus the drama of Christian Eriksen’s horrifying collapse.
The Manchester United midfielder has made a remarkable recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the tournament which forced him to withdraw from the game.
Fortunately, he bounced back and became a fixture in the Premier League once again. Eriksen will act as the Danes’ creative engine in his fifth major tournament.
A dominant qualifying campaign and two recent victories over defending world champions France demonstrate the potential of Kasper Hjulmand’s side, bringing a core of established, mature talent to the Middle East.
If they build momentum in the group stages, another bold Danish attack into the final rounds could be on the cards.
Final 26-man Denmark World Cup squad
Hjulmand had until Friday, October 21 to submit an official preliminary list of 35-55 players to FIFA, from which he will select a final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday, November 14.
Denmark revealed 21 of their 26 players on November 7 with the final five to be added once club football pauses.
Among those already named, Premier League stars Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mikkel Damsgaard have all made the cut.
Former Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has also unsurprisingly been named.
Hjulmand claimed 12 players are vying for the final five places in his side with the likes of Christian Norgaard and Yussuf Poulsen still in contention.
Here are the players so far confirmed to be in Denmark’s final World Cup squad:
World Cup Squad
GOALKEEPERS: Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin), Kasper Schmeichel (Nice)
DEFENDERS: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Simon Kjær (AC Milan), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Joakim Mæle (Atalanta), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brøndby)
MIDFIELDERS: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham), Mathias Jensen (Brentford)
FORWARDS: Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Jesper Lindstrøm (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge), Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg)
Denmark World Cup group
Eriksen and his teammates will be licking their lips at the sight of Group D. Back-to-back victories over France in the UEFA Nations League will strike fear into Didier Deschamps’ side, who will be desperate to avoid another shock exit as they suffered in Euro 2020.
Though not to be underestimated, the Danes should have enough firepower to overcome Tunisia and Australia.
Denmark Group D fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | Denmark vs. Tunisia | 8 a.m. | Education City Stadium |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | France vs. Denmark | 11 a.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Australia vs. Denmark | 10 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium |
