Denmark National team 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 Man 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.
Projected Denmark World Cup squad 2022
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.
Based on World Cup qualifying squads and friendly rosters over the past year, these are the names most likely to be on his preliminary list.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Kasper Schmeichel | Nice (FRA) | 35 | 86 |
| Goalkeeper | Frederick Ronnow | Union Berlin (GER) | 30 | 8 |
| Goalkeeper | Oliver Christensen | Hertha Berlin (GER) | 23 | 1 |
| Goalkeeper | Peter Vindal Jensen | AZ Alkmaar (NED) | 24 | 0 |
| Defender | Andreas Christensen | Barcelona (SPA) | 26 | 58 |
| Defender | Simon Kjaer | AC Milan (ITA) | 33 | 121 |
| Defender | Jens Larsen | Trabzonspor | 31 | 49 |
| Defender | Jannik Vestergaard | Leicester City (ENG) | 30 | 35 |
| Defender | Alexander Bah | Benfica (POR) | 24 | 4 |
| Defender | Joakim Maehle | Atalanta (ITA) | 25 | 31 |
| Defender | Joachim Andersen | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 26 | 19 |
| Defender | Victor Nelsson | Galatasaray (TUR) | 24 | 7 |
| Defender | Rasmus Kristensen | Leeds United (ENG) | 25 | 10 |
| Defender | Nicolai Boilesen | Copenhagen (DEN) | 30 | 22 |
| Midfielder | Philip Billing | Bournemouth (ENG) | 26 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Christian Norgaard | Brentford (ENG) | 28 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Thomas Delaney | Sevilla (SPA) | 26 | 20 |
| Midfielder | Christian Eriksen | Manchester United (ENG) | 30 | 117 |
| Midfielder | Daniel Wass | Brondby (DEN) | 33 | 44 |
| Midfielder | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg | Tottenham (ENG) | 27 | 60 |
| Midfielder | Mathias Jensen | Brentford (ENG) | 26 | 20 |
| Midfielder | Morten Hjulmand | Lecce (ITA) | 23 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Mikkel Damsgaard | Brentford (ENG) | 22 | 18 |
| Midfielder | Jesper Lindstrom | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 22 | 6 |
| Midfielder | Casper Nielsen | Club Brugge (BEL) | 28 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Jens Stage | Werder Bremen (GER) | 25 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Jens Jonsson | AEK Athens (GRE) | 29 | 5 |
| Forward | Robert Skov | Hoffenheim (GER) | 26 | 11 |
| Forward | Jonas Wind | Wolfsburg (GER) | 23 | 15 |
| Forward | Jacob Bruun Larsen | Hoffenheim (GER) | 24 | 6 |
| Forward | Andreas Cornelius | Copenhagen (DEN) | 29 | 41 |
| Forward | Rasmus Hojlund | Atlanta (ITA) | 19 | 2 |
| Forward | Andreas Olsen | Club Brugge (BEL) | 22 | 23 |
| Forward | Pione Sisto | Midtjylland (DEN) | 27 | 26 |
| Forward | Yussuf Poulsen | RB Leipzig (GER) | 28 | 68 |
| Forward | Martin Braithwaite | Espanyol (SPA) | 31 | 62 |
| Forward | Kasper Dolberg | Sevilla (SPA) | 25 | 37 |
Final 26-man Denmark World Cup roster
Denmark are not scheduled to play again before the World Cup kicks off, so Hjulmand will likely already know his preferred starting lineup.
Here’s a projected look at a plausible 26-man roster, assuming all these players are fit and ready.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Kasper Schmeichel | Nice (FRA) | 35 | 86 |
| Goalkeeper | Frederick Ronnow | Union Berlin (GER) | 30 | 8 |
| Goalkeeper | Oliver Christensen | Hertha Berlin (GER) | 23 | 1 |
| Defender | Andreas Christensen | Barcelona (SPA) | 26 | 58 |
| Defender | Simon Kjaer | AC Milan (ITA) | 33 | 121 |
| Defender | Jens Larsen | Trabzonspor | 31 | 49 |
| Defender | Jannik Vestergaard | Leicester City (ENG) | 30 | 35 |
| Defender | Joachim Andersen | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 26 | 19 |
| Defender | Victor Nelsson | Galatasaray (TUR) | 24 | 7 |
| Defender | Rasmus Kristensen | Leeds United (ENG) | 25 | 10 |
| Defender | Joakim Maehle | Atalanta (ITA) | 25 | 31 |
| Midfielder | Christian Norgaard | Brentford (ENG) | 28 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Thomas Delaney | Sevilla (SPA) | 26 | 20 |
| Midfielder | Christian Eriksen | Manchester United (ENG) | 30 | 117 |
| Midfielder | Casper Nielsen | Club Brugge (BEL) | 28 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg | Tottenham (ENG) | 27 | 60 |
| Midfielder | Mathias Jensen | Brentford (ENG) | 26 | 20 |
| Midfielder | Mikkel Damsgaard | Brentford (ENG) | 22 | 18 |
| Midfielder | Jesper Lindstrom | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 22 | 6 |
| Forward | Robert Skov | Hoffenheim (GER) | 26 | 11 |
| Forward | Jonas Wind | Wolfsburg (GER) | 23 | 15 |
| Forward | Andreas Cornelius | Copenhagen (DEN) | 29 | 41 |
| Forward | Rasmus Hojlund | Atlanta (ITA) | 19 | 2 |
| Forward | Andreas Olsen | Club Brugge (BEL) | 22 | 23 |
| Forward | Martin Braithwaite | Espanyol (SPA) | 31 | 62 |
| Forward | Kasper Dolberg | Sevilla (SPA) | 25 | 37 |
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 |
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