Denmark national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Denmark

Nickname(s)	De Rød-Hvide (The Red and Whites) Danish Dynamite
Association	Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Brian Riemer
Captain	Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Most caps	Christian Eriksen (140)
Top scorer	Poul Nielsen Jon Dahl Tomasson (52)
Home stadium	Parken Stadium
FIFA code	DEN
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	10 (7 February 2019)
Highest	3 (May 1997-August 1997)
Lowest	51 (6 April 2017)
Elo ranking
Current	14 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest	1 (June to October 1916)
Lowest	65 (May 1967)
First international
Denmark 9–0 France B  (London, England; 19 October 1908)
Biggest win
Denmark 17–1 France  (London, England; 22 October 1908)
Biggest defeat
Germany 8–0 Denmark  (Breslau, Germany; 16 May 1937)
World Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1986)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1998)
European Championship
Appearances	10 (first in 1964)
Best result	Champions (1992)
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Appearances	1 (first in 1993)
Best result	Runners-up (1993)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 1995)
Best result	Champions (1995)
Medal record Men's football UEFA European Championship Gold 1992 Sweden Team FIFA Confederations Cup Gold 1995 Saudi Arabia Team Olympic Games Silver 1908 London Team Silver 1912 Stockholm Team Silver 1960 Rome Team Bronze 1948 London Team

The Denmark national football team is also known as De Rød-Hvide (The Red and Whites) or Danish Dynamite. This team represents Denmark and Greenland in international men's football games. The Danish Football Association (DBU) controls the team. Their home stadium is Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Denmark won an unofficial football competition in 1906. They also earned silver medals at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. For many years, Danish players were not allowed to be professionals. This meant Denmark did not play in the FIFA World Cup until 1986. They did win another Olympic silver medal in 1960.

Since the 1980s, the "Danish Dynamite" team has been strong in tournaments. Their biggest win was the 1992 European Championship in Sweden. They beat the Netherlands and then Germany in the final. They also won the 1995 King Fahd Cup (now called the FIFA Confederations Cup) in 1995. Their best World Cup result was reaching the quarter-finals in 1998, where they lost to Brazil. Denmark also reached the round of 16 in 1986, 2002, and 2018. More recently, they made it to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020, losing to England.

The Danish Football Team: A Closer Look

Different Danish Football Teams

Besides the main men's team, Denmark has other national football teams. There is a women's national team. There are also youth teams for both boys and girls. The under-21 national team is quite well known.

Historically, the main team played in the Olympics until 1988. After that, Olympic games became for under-21 teams. Denmark also has a special league team called Ligalandsholdet. This team is made up of the best Danish players from Nordic leagues. They play unofficial games during the winter break. This helps the national coach test new players for the main team.

Early Days of Danish Football

The Danish team that won their first silver medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Danish team, winning the silver medals at the 1912 Olympics

The first official national football match for Denmark was on 19 October 1908. They played during the Olympic Games in London. Denmark beat France's second team 9–0.

In the early 1900s, Denmark did well in football. They won an unofficial gold medal at the 1906 Olympics. They then won silver medals at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. From 1912 to 1920, Denmark was often ranked as the number one team in the world.

For many years, the Danish Football Union (DBU) only sent the team to friendly matches. They also played in the regional Nordic Championship. In 1948, they started playing in the Olympics again and won a bronze medal.

However, football was still an amateur sport in Denmark. Many top players moved abroad to play professionally. The DBU did not allow professional players on the national team. This made it hard to have a very strong team.

Denmark won another Olympic silver medal in 1960. They also finished fourth in the 1964 European Nations' Cup. But this was mostly because they had an easy path to the semi-finals.

The DBU finally changed its rule in 1971. They started allowing professional players on the national team. In 1978, they also allowed professional football in Danish leagues. This helped the team become much better. In 1979, Sepp Piontek became the first full-time professional coach.

The "Danish Dynamite" Era (1980–1990)

In the 1980s, the Danish team became known as "Danish Dynamite." This was because of their exciting style of play. Many Danish players were playing for big clubs in other countries. This helped them learn new skills and tactics.

Denmark almost qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. They even beat Italy, who later won the World Cup. In 1984, Denmark qualified for their first major tournament since 1964, the UEFA Euro 1984. They famously beat England at Wembley. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Spain in a penalty shootout.

Denmark played in their first World Cup in 1986. With star players like Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær, they beat Uruguay 6–1. But they lost to Spain again in the next round. Denmark also played in UEFA Euro 1988 but lost all their group games. They did not qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

The Fairytale of 1992

Denmark did not qualify for UEFA Euro 1992 at first. But because of international issues, Yugoslavia was removed from the tournament. Just 10 days before it started, Denmark was invited to take their place!

Many players were already together for a friendly match. So, they were not completely unprepared. With strong defense and amazing saves from goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Denmark surprised everyone. Star player Brian Laudrup also returned to the team. They won the European Championship trophy! They beat the defending champions, the Netherlands, in the semi-finals. Then they won 2–0 against the reigning World Cup champions, Germany, in the final. This was Denmark's first major international trophy.

Ups and Downs (1993–2000)

After the Euro 1992 win, Michael Laudrup returned to the team. Denmark did not qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. However, they won the 1995 King Fahd Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup) in 1995. They beat Argentina 2–0 in the final.

At UEFA Euro 1996, Denmark did not do well and were eliminated early. In the 1998 World Cup, the team improved. Both Laudrup brothers played their last international games. Denmark reached the quarter-finals but lost a close game 3–2 to Brazil. Without the Laudrup brothers, Denmark qualified for UEFA Euro 2000 but lost all their group matches.

The Olsen Gang Era (2000–2015)

FIFA World Rankings for Denmark, August 1993 – July 2009

Morten Olsen became the new manager in 2000. The team was nicknamed the "Olsen Gang." This was a reference to popular Danish movies. Olsen changed the team's playing style to be more attacking. He focused on using fast wingers like Jesper Grønkjær and Dennis Rommedahl.

Denmark qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004. They had great results in the group stages, including a 2–0 win against France in 2002. But they did not go further in either tournament. They lost to England in the 2002 World Cup and the Czech Republic in Euro 2004.

Denmark did not qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro 2008. But they did qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by winning their group. At the 2010 World Cup, they won one game but were eliminated in the group stage.

They qualified for UEFA Euro 2012 as well. They were in a very tough group with Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. They beat the Netherlands but lost to Portugal and Germany. This meant they were eliminated from the tournament. Denmark also failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016. Morten Olsen left his role as manager in 2015.

Recent Years (2016–Present)

Åge Hareide became the new coach in 2016. Denmark qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They had a strong qualifying campaign, with Christian Eriksen scoring many goals. In the play-offs, they beat the Republic of Ireland 5–1.

At the 2018 World Cup, Denmark drew with France and qualified for the knockout stage. They faced Croatia in the round of 16. The game ended 1–1 after extra time. Croatia won in a penalty shootout, even though Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty from Luka Modrić.

In 2018, there was a disagreement between the Danish Football Union and the players. This led to a temporary team of lower-league and futsal players playing a friendly match. Luckily, the issue was resolved quickly.

Hareide helped Denmark qualify for UEFA Euro 2020. However, his contract ended before the postponed tournament. Kasper Hjulmand took over as manager.

At UEFA Euro 2020, a difficult moment happened when Christian Eriksen had a heart attack during a game. The team showed amazing strength and teamwork. Despite losing their first two games, they beat Russia 4–1 to reach the knockout stage. They beat Wales 4–0 and the Czech Republic 2–1. Their journey ended in the semi-finals, losing to England in extra time. Their performance was praised for their spirit and quality.

Denmark also qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They won their qualifying group with nine wins. At the World Cup, they were in a tough group with France, Tunisia, and Australia. They drew with Tunisia and lost to France and Australia, finishing last in their group.

Denmark qualified for UEFA Euro 2024. They finished top of their group despite some tough matches. At Euro 2024, they reached the round of 16 but were eliminated by Germany. Kasper Hjulmand resigned after the tournament. His assistant, Morten Wieghorst, is now the temporary manager.

Team Spirit and Supporters

Danish Supporters: The Roligans

Denmark is famous for its traveling fans called roligans. This movement started in the 1980s. It was a way to support the team calmly and cheerfully, instead of with hooliganism. The word "rolig" means "calm" in Danish.

The roligans are known for being friendly and very supportive. They are often seen as some of the best national team fans in the world. They even received the FIFA FairPlay Award in 1984.

In 2007, there was an incident where a fan ran onto the pitch during a game against Sweden. This caused the match to be stopped. UEFA later awarded Sweden a 3–0 win because of this.

Rivalry with Sweden

Denmark's main football rival is Sweden. They have played against each other many times. The first match was in 1913, with Denmark winning 8–0.

In UEFA Euro 1992, Denmark and Sweden were in the same group. Both teams moved on, and Denmark went on to win the tournament. In UEFA Euro 2004, a 2–2 draw between them helped both teams qualify.

The fan incident in 2007 happened during a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Sweden. Denmark lost that game 3–0 by default. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Denmark beat Sweden twice. But in the Euro 2016 play-offs, Sweden won and Denmark did not qualify.

Home Stadium: Parken

Parken Stadium, with a capacity of 38,065 spectators, located in Copenhagen, and used as official home stadium by the Denmark football team

The first home match for the Denmark national team was in 1910. It was played at "KBs baner" in Copenhagen. A new stadium called Idrætsparken opened in 1911. It hosted most of the national team's home games for many years.

Idrætsparken was rebuilt and reopened in 1992 as Parken. It is the biggest stadium in Denmark, with a capacity of 38,009 seats. From 1992 to 2006, all men's national team matches were played at Parken.

However, for some friendly matches, fewer fans came to Parken. So, the DBU started playing some friendly games at smaller stadiums around Denmark. This helped fill the stadiums and create a better atmosphere. Today, all important qualifying matches for the European Championships and World Cup are still played at Parken Stadium.

Players and Records

Current Squad

The players listed below were chosen for the recent UEFA Nations League matches in November 2024.

Caps and goals are correct as of 18 November 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Kasper Schmeichel	(1986-11-05) 5 November 1986 (age 38)	111	0	Celtic
16	1GK	Mads Hermansen	(2000-07-11) 11 July 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Leicester City
22	1GK	Peter Vindahl Jensen	(1998-02-16) 16 February 1998 (age 27)	0	0	Sparta Prague
2	2DF	Mads Bech Sørensen	(1999-01-07) 7 January 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Midtjylland
3	2DF	Jannik Vestergaard	(1992-08-03) 3 August 1992 (age 32)	51	3	Leicester City
4	2DF	Victor Nelsson	(1998-10-14) 14 October 1998 (age 26)	16	0	Galatasaray
5	2DF	Mads Roerslev	(1999-06-24) 24 June 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Brentford
13	2DF	Patrick Dorgu	(2004-10-28) 28 October 2004 (age 20)	4	1	Lecce
17	2DF	Victor Kristiansen	(2002-12-16) 16 December 2002 (age 22)	17	0	Leicester City
18	2DF	Anton Gaaei	(2002-11-19) 19 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Ajax
6	3MF	Morten Frendrup	(2001-04-07) 7 April 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Genoa
7	3MF	Albert Grønbæk	(2001-05-23) 23 May 2001 (age 24)	6	1	Rennes
10	3MF	Christian Eriksen	(1992-02-14) 14 February 1992 (age 33)	140	43	Manchester United
14	3MF	Mikkel Damsgaard	(2000-07-03) 3 July 2000 (age 24)	31	4	Brentford
15	3MF	Christian Nørgaard	(1994-03-10) 10 March 1994 (age 31)	32	1	Brentford
21	3MF	Morten Hjulmand	(1999-06-25) 25 June 1999 (age 25)	15	1	Sporting CP
23	3MF	Matt O'Riley	(2000-11-21) 21 November 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Brighton & Hove Albion
8	4FW	Gustav Isaksen	(2001-04-19) 19 April 2001 (age 24)	6	2	Lazio
9	4FW	Rasmus Højlund	(2003-02-04) 4 February 2003 (age 22)	22	7	Manchester United
11	4FW	Andreas Skov Olsen	(1999-12-29) 29 December 1999 (age 25)	37	8	Club Brugge
12	4FW	Kasper Dolberg	(1997-10-06) 6 October 1997 (age 27)	54	11	Anderlecht
19	4FW	Jonas Wind	(1999-02-07) 7 February 1999 (age 26)	34	8	VfL Wolfsburg
20	4FW	Yussuf Poulsen	(1994-06-15) 15 June 1994 (age 31)	86	14	RB Leipzig

Most Appearances

Christian Eriksen is Denmark's most capped player with 140 appearances.

The players with the most games played for Denmark are:

Top Goalscorers

Poul Nielsen and Jon Dahl Tomasson are Denmark's joint all-time top scorers with 52 goals.

These players have scored the most goals for the national team:

Hall of Fame

Denmark's Hall of Fame was created in 2008. It celebrates the best players, teams, and coaches in the national team's history. Each year, a special group chooses one or two new members. These members get an award and leave a footprint in bronze at the DBU headquarters.

Hall of Fame Members

Here are some of the famous members of Denmark's Football Hall of Fame:

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

• UEFA European Championship
  • Champions (1): 1992
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Champions (1): 1995
• Olympic Games
  • Silver medal (3): 1908, 1912, 1960
  • Bronze medal (1): 1948
• CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
  • Runners-up (1): 1993

Regional Titles

• Nordic Football Championship
  • Champions (3): 1924–28, 1978–80, 1981–85

Friendly Tournament Wins

• King's Cup (Thailand)
  • Champions (1): 2010
• Lunar New Year Cup
  • Champions (2): 1994, 2006

Awards

• FIFA Fair Play Award: 2021
• UNESCO Fair Play Trophy: 2002

Images for kids

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  Crowd watching the Denmark–Sweden Euro 2004 match at the Copenhagen City Hall Square

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Dinamarca para niños