Christian Eriksen secured a 2-1 victory for Denmark against Northern Ireland in a friendly match held in Copenhagen on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Despite an early lead from Northern Ireland courtesy of a Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg own goal, Denmark rallied to equalize in the first half's stoppage time through Gustav Isaksen, before Eriksen sealed the win in the 67th minute.

The match, played at Parken Stadium, saw Northern Ireland initially silence the home crowd with their early pressure. Justin Devenny, starting at left wing-back, intercepted a poor ball from Denmark's Lucas Hogsberg and his cross deflected off Joachim Andersen before Hojbjerg, under pressure from Shea Charles, turned it into his own net. However, Denmark gradually asserted themselves, with Isaksen proving a constant threat down the left wing. He was unlucky not to win a penalty after a challenge with Trai Hume.

Denmark's pressure eventually told when Isaksen leveled the score in stoppage time. Eriksen then completed the comeback in the second half, ghosting away from Shea Charles to tuck home his 45th international goal.

Michael O'Neill, the Northern Ireland manager, had made seven changes from their previous match, a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in March. The starting eleven boasted an average age of just 23.4, showcasing O'Neill's focus on developing younger players ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in September against Luxembourg. This match and the upcoming friendly against Iceland are seen as crucial opportunities to expose these players to high-level international football.

While the result marked a second successive friendly defeat for Northern Ireland, following the heavy loss to Sweden, the performance was a significant improvement defensively against a strong Danish side. Earlier in the week O'Neill stated that the friendlies, against Denmark and Iceland, were about exposing the players to top level international football ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers this autumn and that the match against Denmark in particular would be a step up from the games in the UEFA Nations League late last year.

Denmark, preparing for their own World Cup qualifying campaign, which includes matches against Scotland, showed their quality and determination to fight back after conceding early. They had participated in the UEFA Nations League during the last international break, facing Portugal in a two-legged quarterfinal clash. They picked up a narrow but well-deserved 1-0 victory in the first leg thanks to a late winner from Rasmus Hojlund before suffering a 5-2 thrashing in the second leg in Portugal.

The match also provided a good test for Denmark's new head coach, who will be looking for a strong showing in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Denmark are currently ranked 21st in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking, while Northern Ireland are ranked 71st.

Northern Ireland will now turn their attention to the friendly against Iceland on June 10, offering another chance to fine-tune their squad before the competitive action begins in September. That match will be played at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.