Denmark World Cup squad 2022: All 26 players on Danish national football team roster

Toby Miles

Denmark World Cup squad 2022: All 26 players on Danish national football team roster image

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 startling recovery following his cardiac arrest on the pitch during that tournament, that forced him to step away from the game.

He has, thankfully, returned and has become a fixture in the Premier League once again. Eriksen will function as the Danes' creative engine at his fifth major tournament. 

A dominant qualifying campaign and two recent victories over defending world champions France demonstrates the potential of Kasper Hjulmand's side, bringing a core of established talent in the mature end of their primes to the Middle East.

If they pick up momentum in the group stages, another brave Danish charge into the latter rounds could be on the cards. 

MORE: Breaking down Denmark's Group D opponents Australia, Tunisia and France

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 then had to 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 added before the cutoff.

Among those initially named, Premier League stars Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mikkel Damsgaard all made the cut. 

Former Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was also unsurprisingly named. 

Hjulmand claimed 12 players were vying for the final five places in his side that saw the likes of Christian Norgaard and Yussuf Poulsen given a call-up.

Here are the 26 players confirmed to be in Denmark's final World Cup squad: 

Position No. Player Club Age Caps
GK 1 Kasper Schmeichel Nice (FRA)  35 86
GK 16 Oliver Christensen  Hertha Berlin (GER) 23 1
GK 22 Frederik Ronnow  Union Berlin (GER) 30 8
DEF 6 Andreas Christensen Barcelona (SPA)  26 58
DEF 4 Simon Kjaer AC Milan (ITA) 33 121
DEF 17 Jens Stryger Larsen Trabzonspor (TUR) 31 49
DEEF 2 Joachim Andersen Crystal Palace (ENG) 26 19
DEF 3 Victor Nelsson  Galatasaray (TUR) 24 7
DEF 13 Rasmus Kristensen Leeds United (ENG) 25 10
DEF 26 Alexander Bah Benfica (POR) 24 4
DEF 5 Joakim Maehle Atalanta (ITA) 25 31
DEF 18 Daniel Wass Brondby (DEN) 33 44
MID 8 Thomas Delaney  Sevilla (SPA)  26 20
MID 10 Christian Eriksen Manchester United (ENG) 30 117
MID 23 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg Tottenham (ENG)  27 60
MID 14 Mikkel Damsgaard Brentford (ENG) 22 18
MID 15 Christian Norgaard Brentford (ENG)  28 17
MID 7 Mathias Jensen  Brentford (ENG) 26 20
MID 25 Jesper Lindstrom Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 22 6
MID 24 Robert Skov Hoffenheim (GER) 26 11
MID 11 Andreas Skov Olsen Club Brugge (BEL) 22 23
FWD 19 Jonas Wind Wolfsburg (GER)  23 15
FWD 21 Andreas Cornelius  Copenhagen (DEN) 29 41
FWD 9 Martin Braithwaite  Espanyol (SPA)  31 62
FWD 20 Yussuf Poulsen RB Leipzig  (GER)  28 68
FWD 12 Kasper Dolberg  Sevilla (SPA) 25 37

WORLD CUP 2022 SELECTED SQUADS:
Australia | Argentina | Belgium | Brazil | Cameroon 
Canada | Costa Rica | Croatia | Denmark | England
France | Germany | Ghana | Iran | Japan | Mexico
Netherlands | Poland | Portugal | Qatar | Senegal
Serbia | Spain | Switzerland | Uruguay | USA | Wales 

Denmark best player, strengths & weaknesses

A narrow 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the Euro 2020 semifinal was all that separated Denmark from an against-all-odds bid for the title last year.

A team with a sturdy back line who are comfortable in possession and capable of launching thunderbolt counter-attacks at any moment, they should be even better equipped in Qatar. 

The added impetus of a fit and healthy Eriksen could make a significant difference this year. All the leading contenders will be wary of Denmark. 

Stars

Denmark's battle hardened, close-knit core of talent operating down the spine of their team will be the backbone of any success at this World Cup. 

Kasper Schmeichel, Simon Kjaer, Eriksen and Martin Brathwaite are all into their early 30s, offering tournament know-how and leadership to a young and exciting attack. 

Kasper Dolberg is expected to be Denmark's key goal threat, but a steady start to his season with Sevilla could see Brathwaite get the nod. 

Strengths

The Danish backline conceded just three goals throughout their World Cup qualification campaign. Andreas Christensen and Kjaer were heroes of their Euro 2020 campaign, while Jannick Verstergaard and Joachim Andersen are also excellent options. 

It's a wonderfully balanced team, with 22-year-old wingers Mikkel Damsgaard and Andreas Olsen dangerous elements in attack, while the likes of Thomas Delaney and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg steady the ship in midfield. 

Weaknesses

Hjulmand's team are full of spirit, have a well-oiled system and possess plenty of talent. Regardless, they'll still be considered underdogs against the likes of Brazil, England, Germany and Portugal.

Do they have the resilience to withstand Messi or Ronaldo? Can they overpower Thiago Silva or Antonio Rudiger?

Denmark World Cup group

Denmark were drawn in Group D for the tournament in Qatar alongside Australia, France and Tunisia. 

Denmark Group D fixtures and match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Tue, Nov. 22 Denmark 0 Tunisia 0 8 a.m. Education City Stadium
Sat, Nov. 26 France 2 Denmark 1 11 a.m. Stadium 974
Wed, Nov. 30 Australia vs. Denmark 10 a.m. Al Janoub Stadium

Can Denmark replace players on World Cup roster?

Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.

According to the official tournament rules, "a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team's first match."

The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines "the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup" then the replacement will be allowed. 

The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.

Toby Miles

Toby Miles Photo

Toby joined Sporting News in 2022 ahead of the World Cup, bringing previous sports writing experience at MailOnline and UEFA. An Englishman and Chelsea fan still fuming about Frank Lampard's 2010 ghost goal but never afraid to say 'It's Coming Home'.