Key players of Denmark in the 2022 FIFA world cup
Having only ever advanced to the quarterfinal round in 1998, Denmark will be playing in their sixth World Cup. They placed second in Group C behind eventual champions France four years ago in Russia, but were eliminated by Croatia on penalties in the round of 16.
In order to go to the World Cup semifinals, Denmark will have to defeat a team from the likes of Spain, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, and Uruguay, even if they win their group.
Denmark will face the Group C winners, who are likely to be Argentina, on the other side of the bracket if they fail to win Group D but still qualify. Following that, they will play either the Group A champion or Group B runners-up, which would once again put the Netherlands, England, Senegal, and USA against one another. In the semifinals, there is no hiding again. For Denmark, neither option is enjoyable.
Given this outstanding performance and their impressive performance at the UEFA EURO last year, where they overcame the trauma of Christian Eriksen's opening-match cardiac arrest to advance to the quarterfinals, it should come as no surprise that they are being predicted as dark horses for the World Cup.
More unusual is that the Danes themselves, normally cautious and reserved, are embracing this tag – and talking up their hopes. Hjulmand responded to FIFA when asked about the label of "dark horses," "The only thing better would be if they say we are one of the favourites."
"We don't believe that we are superior to others, but we do believe that we are a strong squad that is capable of competing against anyone. And we don't mind the pressure that comes with being considered as contenders."
Here, we focus on individuals who are essential to the Danish national team's chances of succeeding in Qatar.
Last June, Christian Eriksen was, in his own words, "gone from this world" for five horrible minutes. Anything more than his survival would have seemed too much to hope and ask for at that point.
Eriksen, however, returned to Premier League football within nine months, and in March, 287 days after his cardiac arrest, he made his international comeback. Eriksen scored within the first two minutes of the game. In a few more months, the midfielder have now switched from Brentford to Manchester United and once more be in charge of the midfield for both his club and his nation.
It is undeniably the stuff of football fairy tales already. And if Qatar is to have another amazing chapter added to it, Denmark will undoubtedly need their star playmaker to contribute.
Prior to the previous World Cup, then-coach Age Hareide called Eriksen "probably one of the top ten [players in the world]," and his vision, range of passing, and skill at set-pieces still make him Denmark's primary creator. He ranks among the top five scorers in the nation all-time and is the current team's top scorer with 38 goals.
Hjulmand has praised, "He's a fantastic footballer but an even greater guy. There aren't many people at that level who consistently have their feet on the ground and who are honest. And it's incredible how much he loves football. Never once have I observed him without a ball around."
"He is the captain in terms of the game's flow, reading of the game, and overall match vibe. His eyes are now all. He leads in that manner. He is this team's pulse and heartbeat."
Normally, Jurgen Klopp doesn't complement the opposition's players. It was noteworthy that he made a point of saying in public that Kjaer, an AC Milan visitor to Anfield, had "the respect of the entire football and sporting world."
Naturally, the center-back is Denmark's captain, their most seasoned player, and is quickly approaching Peter Schmeichel's 129-appearance mark for a single national team. It was, as Klopp admitted, his "real leadership in a crisis" that lifted the veteran defender to a new role despite all of that and a club career that saw him flourish in the top tiers of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Kjaer got the UEFA President's Award, placed 18th in the Ballon d'Or vote, and was chosen "Footballer of 2021" by British magazine The Guardian for the same reasons.
After all, on that terrible afternoon in June, Denmark's captain had come to Eriksen's rescue, put him in the recovery position, freed his airways, and started CPR at the very moment his team — and a personal friend — needed him most.
Doctors later said that the midfielder's life was saved solely by those efforts. Before trying to comfort and soothe Eriksen's upset companion, Kjaer instead led his team in forming a protective ring around their injured teammate.
Such actions reflected what it means to be a leader. But they came as no surprise to those who knew him well. Simon was just the enormous role model that he always is, Hjulmand later remarked.
Expect Kjaer to set an example once more in Qatar as a leader the entire squad and country can depend on.
A goal every three games would make many international strikers happy. Most full-backs can only hope for a strike rate like that.
But Mæhle is not your typical full-back. The Udinese star, who scored the goal against Austria to guarantee Denmark's World Cup spot, emerged as one of the top players at EURO 2020 after showcasing his versatility in both attack and defence.
Mæhle is a favourite of Hjulmand and has practically removed the possibility of rotation by becoming equally adept playing on the right or left, as a full-back or wingback. The Denmark coach recently noted, "He has scored nine goals for us in the national team and is always one of our finest players. He is a superb footballer, in my opinion."
Mæhle was an important player when Hjulmand converted from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 at the EURO because of his versatility and wide range of defensive and offensive skills, and similar tactical changes in Qatar will again significantly rely on him.
The only thing that is now causing him anxiety is the sudden loss of his starting position at Udinese, which his national coach has described "impossible to explain" for a player who, in his opinion, ought to be performing at the highest level.
Kasper Dolberg, a rising young talent, plays forward for Sevilla. When he received his first call up for the match against Kazakhstan in November 2016, he made his debut in the international level. He entered the game as a second-half substitution, and Denmark triumphed 4-1.
In the FIFA world cup 2018 qualifiers encounter, Dolberg scored his first goal for the senior Danish team after substituting Yussuf Poulson. He was a member of the team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
He scored on a beautiful cross from Joakim Mæhle in the quarterfinal of the 2021 Euro Cup against the Czech Republic. His third international goal was that. Currently, in 37 appearances for his international career, he has scored 11 goals.
He will, in my opinion, be a member of the team for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and a key player.
Poulsen, who opened the scoring for Denmark at both Russia 2018 and EURO 2020, will once again play a crucial role as Hjulmand's team looks to score in Qatar. The Leipzig forward, who now holds the record for most appearances for the German club, readily admits that he lacks the technical ability of teammates like Eriksen and Mikkel Damsgaard.
According to Poulsen, "I was never considered to be Denmark's best talent or the one who would succeed but I wanted to prove them wrong everytime they stated I couldn't do something."
He is the ideal first line of defence because of the energy and work rate that his resolve has developed. Willi Orban, a club teammate, praised the "amazing" nature of the in dustry and called Poulsen "a machine, with or without the ball."
The big forward, whose late father was from Tanzania, is tall, athletic, and strong and adds a new dimension to Denmark's offensive style. He is a monster physically, according to Christian Norgaard, a teammate from Denmark. "He can do things that only a selected few players can do and has a body unlike any other."
