Denmark
National Team Information
General Info
UEFA
De Rød-Hvide (The Red and Whites), Danish Dynamite
Denmark National Football Team History
Olympic Success
A team composed of Danish players won gold at the 1906 Olympics in Athens, but their first official international wasn’t until 1908. The Denmark national football team destroyed the French B team 9-0 and defeated France’s A team 17-1 in the semifinals, as Sophus Nielsen scored an astounding 10 goals.
Denmark were runners-up at their first official tournament and also won the silver medal in 1912. In their first major tournament, the 1964 European Championship, Denmark national football team lost both of their matches. The Danish football union only allowed amateur players to compete for the national team until the rule was changed in 1971.
In 1984, the Red and Whites qualified for their first major tournament in 20 years. Denmark performed well, and the team was dubbed “Danish Dynamite,” as they qualified for the semifinals. Eventually, though, they lost to Spain in penalties.
The first Denmark national football team FIFA World Cup appearance was two years later, in 1986. In the “Group of Death”, Denmark miraculously won all three of their matches and advanced to the round of 16. Unfortunately, they fell to Spain once again.
Upset Trophy Plus a Second Trophy
The Danes failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup but went on one of the best runs in soccer history at the 1992 Euros. Denmark only qualified for the tournament due to sanctions levied by UEFA against a warring Yugoslavia, and the legendary Michael Laudrup had stepped aside from the national team two years prior.
In a group with hosts Sweden, France, and England, Denmark managed to finish second and advance to the semifinals. Henrik Larsen scored a double in a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, but the Danes were victorious in penalties.
Facing Germany in the final, Denmark pulled off the 2-0 upset and won their first major tournament. Larsen was joint-top scorer, and Peter Schmeichel was the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Laudrup returned in 1993 and in the 1995 King Fahd Cup -the equivalent of the FIFA Confederations Cup– Denmark picked up their second major trophy. The Red and Whites defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final, and Laudrup’s brother Brian won the Best Player trophy.
Denmark national football team was consistently punching above its weight as a small nation and made the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup. In the Laudrup Brothers’ last international match, Denmark fell 3-2 to Brazil.
Missed World Cups
At the 2002 World Cup, Denmark defeated defending champions France 2-0 in the group stage but were eliminated in the round of 16. Denmark missed out on the 2006 World Cup and failed to make it out of the group stage in 2010. They also missed the 2014 World Cup, which led to coach Morten Olsen’s dismissal.
Euro 2020 Tragedy at the Opening Match
Denmark didn’t manage to score much at the 2018 World Cup, but they did grind out some important results to make the round of 16. The Danes defeated Peru 1-0 in their opener; they also drew 1-1 with Australia and 0-0 with France. Denmark faced eventual finalists Croatia in the round of 16 but didn’t go down without a fight. After a 1-1 draw, Croatia eliminated Denmark on penalties, as Croatia keeper Danijel Subasic saved three PKs.
At Euro 2020, Kasper Hjulmand’s first tournament as coach, tragedy struck early. Key midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest on the pitch in the opening match against Finland and was pronounced medically dead for a few minutes. With Eriksen in stable condition, the game went on after a postponement of nearly two hours.
The Danes lost the match 1-0 and, with Eriksen indefinitely sidelined, also lost 2-1 to Belgium. Denmark demolished Russia 4-1 in their group stage finale and advanced as the group’s second place team, beating Finland and Russia out on goal difference.
Denmark were a team united after the terrifying scenes at their opening match and demolished Wales 4-0 in the round of 16. The Danes beat Czech Republic 2-1 in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinals match against England. The match went into extra time, but Harry Kane’s goal sent England to the final and ended Denmark’s incredible run.
- Poul Nielsen – Goals: 53
- Jon Dahl Tomasson – Goals: 52
- Pauli Jorgensen – Goals: 44
- Ole Madsen – Goals: 40
- Preben Elkjaer-Larsen – Goals: 38
Michael Laudrup is considered one of the greatest players of all time and was voted the best Danish player of all time in 2006. Laudrup was an incredibly skillful and intelligent attacking midfielder who won league titles in three different countries. He scored an excellent solo goal against Uruguay in the 1986 FIFA World Cup and scored 37 goals in 104 international appearances.
Peter Schmeichel is a Manchester United and Denmark legend and is one of the greatest goalies of all time. He was a major part of the Euro ‘92 Denmark winning side and was a three-time Danish Footballer of the Year winner. Schmeichel was an imposing and vocal goalkeeper who has made the most appearances of all time for Denmark.
Christian Eriksen became a household name in the summer of 2021 when he collapsed on the pitch at the Euro 2020 (this tournament was delayed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping the name) but was one of the best Danish players of all time, even before the incident. Eriksen, a technically sound and creative attacking midfielder, had already made over 100 appearances for Denmark national football team before the age of 30 and was a top-five leading scorer. Eriksen has since made a full recovery and scored two minutes into his international return in March 2022.
Emerging from his older brother Michael’s shadow, Brian Laudrup was named the Danish Footballer of the Year a record four times. The versatile attacker was an integral part of the Denmark teams that won Euro 1992 and the 1995 Confederations Cup. He also scored two goals and registered three assists in Denmark’s best ever World Cup finish in 1998.
Before Morten Olsen coached Denmark for 15 years between 2000-2015, he was an excellent defender for the national team. Olsen was a mainstay for nearly two decades from 1970-1989 and made over 100 appearances. He’s one of only two men, along with Didier Deschamps of France, to play and coach 100 matches for his country.
Denmark didn’t dominate the group stage in 1998 the way they did in 1986; still, the former remains their best ever finish at a World Cup. In their first match of France ‘98, Denmark defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 as Marc Rieper scored the game’s only goal.
South Africa held Denmark to a draw in the next match, and Denmark fell 2-1 to eventual champions France in the group stage finale. Their record of one win, one loss, and a draw was enough to see them through to the round of 16. There, they won their first knockout stage match in their World Cup history, as they decimated Nigeria 4-1. Denmark stayed competitive with Brazil in their first quarterfinals but ultimately fell 3-2.
In 2010, Denmark failed to make it out of the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history. They weren’t terrible in 2010 and did defeat Cameroon 2-1; however, they fell 2-0 to the Netherlands and 3-1 to Japan to seal an early exit.
Denmark Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Danish Superliga:
The top-level Denmark soccer league is called the Danish Superliga.
There are 12 teams in the league and it initially follows a double round-robin format. Then, the league splits in half into a championship and relegation round.
Points carry over and the six-team rounds also follow a double round-robin format. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champion. The bottom two teams in the league are relegated to the second tier. The 5th place team plus the winner of the relegation round also contest a playoff for a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League playoffs.
Danish Superliga Clubs 2022-2023 Season
| Team |
|---|
| AaB |
| AGF |
| Brøndby IF |
| FC Copenhagen |
| Horsens |
| Lyngby |
| FC Midtjylland |
| Nordsjælland |
| OB |
| Randers |
| Silkeborg |
| Viborg |
Danish First Division:
Denmark soccer betting isn’t limited to the national team and the Superliga.
The Danish First Division is the second-tier league in the country, which also features 12 teams.
The league follows a very similar format to the Superliga, with a double round-robin and championship/relegation rounds. The difference is that the top two teams in the standings after the championship round is over are promoted to the Superliga. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams are relegated to the third tier. Also, there’s no European playoff as the Danish First Division clubs can only qualify for European competitions through the Danish Cup.
Danish First Division Clubs 2022-2023 Season
| Team |
|---|
| FC Fredericia |
| FC Helsingør |
| Fremad Amager |
| HB Køge |
| Hillerød |
| Hobro IK |
| Næstved BK |
| Hvidovre IF |
| Nykøbing FC |
| SønderjyskE |
| Vejle BK |
| Vendsyssel FF |
Denmark Cups & Tournaments
Denmark’s soccer teams, both professional and amateur, compete in the Danish Cup knockout tournament each year. The tournament starts with 104 teams, and all teams -except for those in the Superliga- start in the first round. Then, the two promoted teams in the Superliga, plus last season’s seventh to tenth-place teams, enter the second round. The top six teams from last season’s Superliga enter the third round.
The first four rounds are single-leg fixtures. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, participants play both home and away, and aggregate scores determine who advances. The final is a single match played in May. The winner of the Danish Cup is placed in the qualifying rounds of the next season’s Europa League.
Denmark Soccer Betting Information
Betting on the Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the main domestic league for Denmark’s soccer betting. FC Copenhagen have been the best club in Denmark over the last 10 years or so. They’ve won eight of the last 14 Superliga titles. Only four clubs have won more than one Superliga title since the league’s inception in 1990-91. They are FC Copenhagen, Brondby IF, AaB, and FC Midtjylland.
An abnormally high percentage of draws have characterized the last couple of seasons in the league. In both 2020-21 and 2021-22, there were draws in 30 percent of matches. In 2021-22, 16 percent of matches finished 1-1, and it was by far the most common scoreline.
Away teams won 30 percent of their matches in 2021-22, while home teams won just 40 percent of the time. Both teams have scored in over 50 percent of matches in each of the last five seasons.
There’s undoubtedly a gap in quality between the top tier and relegation-threatened teams. However, no team either scored or conceded more than two goals per game in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. That’s a stark contrast with some of the top European leagues, so there are certainly fine margins when betting on the Superliga.
Denmark National Team Betting Tips & Odds
Denmark soccer betting was certainly popular at Euro 2020, when they made the semifinals. Denmark also fared well in the recent UEFA Nations League and won four of their six matches. In a group that also included Croatia, France, and Austria, they managed to finish in second place. They defeated France both at home and away, since both of Denmark’s losses came to Croatia.
At the World Cup, Denmark are once again paired with France, along with Tunisia and Australia. Denmark are priced at -300 to finish in the top two and advance to the round of 16. In four of their five previous appearances at the World Cup, they’ve advanced out of the group.
Given their recent triumphs over France, they might be a popular pick to win the group, at +300 odds.
Betting tips often mention the fact that Denmark have punched above their weight for quite some time now. They have a squad that includes some top players, like Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Andreas Christensen, and Simon Kjaer. The oddsmakers are showing quite a bit of respect to Denmark.
They sit at +2800 odds to win the World Cup, ahead of Uruguay and Croatia. It’d also be shocking if they don’t qualify for Euro 2024. They only need to finish in the top two in a group with Finland, San Marino, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, and Northern Ireland.
Conclusion
The Danish national team has often been a good pick for betting throughout their history. This generation of players is one of the strongest in a long time, and they have unfinished business from Euro 2020. At the 2018 World Cup, they didn’t even lose a single game. They finished with one win and three draws and were only knocked out on penalty kicks in the round of 16.
Denmark’s Superliga will likely never be one of the top European leagues. Between Denmark’s relatively small population and its status as a feeder league, its potential is limited. That doesn’t mean that it’s not an intriguing league to watch and bet on. Denmark’s club teams, like their national team, have often punched above their weight in European competitions. FC Copenhagen recently drew with Manchester City, and FC Midtjylland pulled off a huge upset versus Manchester United a few years back.
