It could be a dark day for the dark horses. Denmark were tipped as potential World Cup winners. They came to Qatar ranked 10th in the world, with a 2022 double over France to their name, as Euro 2020 semi-finalists, with 23 wins in their last 32 games. They may go out at the first opportunity after finishing below Australia or Tunisia; maybe even both.
But, as Denmark know to their cost, a prowess in the European Championships is no guarantee of World Cup success. This has been billed as their best team in three decades. Yet the side who won Euro ’92 failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, just as Euro 2020 champions Italy are nowhere to be seen in Qatar.
