SOCCER: Denmark enter period of transition after missing 2026 World Cup

Denmark’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has thrown the national team into a period of transition, ending a decade-long streak of appearances at major tournaments and raising questions about the future of its aging squad.

The Danish team’s hopes ended Tuesday after a 3-1 penalty shootout loss to the Czech Republic in Prague, following a 2-2 draw in the playoff final.

The defeat capped a string of damaging results, including a 2-2 home draw with Belarus and a late 4-2 loss to Scotland, which secured automatic qualification for the Scots.

For a country that won the 1992 European Championship and reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, the outcome marks a sharp decline. It is Denmark’s first absence from a major tournament since Euro 2016.

The disappointment was further amplified by the success of regional rivals Sweden and Norway, who both qualified, leaving Denmark as the only Scandinavian nation to miss out.

“It must be one of the biggest debacles in Danish national team football,” former Denmark international Mikkel Beckmann told broadcaster DR. “We have stumbled against three teams that should be significantly worse than us.”

The campaign highlighted the challenges facing coach Brian Riemer as Denmark seeks to rebuild without a settled veteran core. Critics have questioned his inability to find a long-term replacement for Christian Eriksen, 34, whose influence has waned during qualifying.

While Mikkel Damsgaard, 25, has shown promise at Brentford, he has struggled to replicate Eriksen’s level of control for the national team. Eriksen’s ability to inspire those around him, particularly in attack, has not been matched.

Now with Wolfsburg and nearing the end of his career, Eriksen said after the defeat that this was his final World Cup qualifying campaign. He started Tuesday’s match on the bench.

Without Eriksen, Denmark’s forwards often appeared isolated, and Riemer has yet to establish a system that maximizes their strengths. Despite dominating possession in Prague, Denmark lacked the clinical edge that defined an inconsistent qualifying run.

The team also appears short of natural leaders. Following Simon Kjaer’s retirement, and with the influence of Eriksen and captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 30, diminishing, Denmark no longer has the leadership depth that previously underpinned their success.

Hojbjerg struggled to impose himself in midfield against the Czech Republic, as Denmark lost its usual defensive balance while carrying the weight of leadership.

Riemer has resisted growing calls for his resignation. He signed a contract extension last October that runs through the 2028 European Championship.

“I am the right person to lead this reconstruction,” Riemer told DR. “Several established stars are phasing out. It is a painful process, and right now, the pain is at its maximum because we missed the biggest stage.”

-Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters