How Can Denmark Still Qualify For The FIFA World Cup 2026?

No one would have thought that a team performing so well throughout the qualifiers would suddenly lose their direct spot for FIFA World Cup qualification. But this international window, which included two crucial matches for the Denmark national football team against Belarus and Scotland, completely changed the situation for them.

Denmark national football team first drew against Belarus, thanks to a late goal, otherwise they would have finished level on points with Scotland much earlier. On the same day, Scotland also played poorly and lost to Greece, which set up a final showdown between Denmark and Scotland. The winner would take the automatic qualification spot for the FIFA World Cup 2026. In the end, Scott McTominay’s brilliant overhead kick, and Tierney's late winner proved to be the difference, leaving Denmark in second place despite having a strong campaign.

Now, Danish fans must be worried about Denmark World Cup qualification and wondering, Can Denmark qualify for the 2026 World Cup or not? The answer is yes, they still have a chance through the European Qualifiers play-offs. Let’s understand how Denmark can qualify through the play-off route.

Denmark World Cup Qualification

Denmark have finished as runners-up in UEFA Group C after losing to Scotland by 4-2 on November 18. This means they did not qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Instead, they advance to the European play-offs in March 2026, where they'll get one last shot at qualification. Lets look at the group

• Direct Qualification? No – Scotland take the automatic spot.
• Play-offs Path: Denmark join 11 other group runners-up + 4 Nations League winners (16 teams total). Only 4 extra spots available. Denmark's strong record (e.g., +7 goal diff) likely seeds them in Pot 1 or 2 – giving home advantage in the semi-final. Semi-finals: Pot 1 vs Pot 4, Pot 2 vs Pot 3 (home for Pots 1 & 2). Winners advance to finals; 4 overall winners qualify.
• Next Steps: Play-off draw on Thursday, November 20, 2025 (post-intercontinental draw, ~1 PM GMT). Matches in March 2026.

Denmark were favorites but stumbled – now it's do-or-die in the play-offs!