Arsenal star announces surprise international retirement after World Cup heartbreak

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Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard has called time on his international career with Denmark after they failed to qualify for the World Cup. Norgaard has 41 caps and two goals for his country but has decided to bow out at the age of 32.

Denmark lost a penalty shoot-out against the Czech Republic in a play-off to reach the World Cup last month. It was quite the failure for the Euro 2020 semi-finalists, who have played in every major tournament since missing Euro 2016.

And it has prompted Norgaard to step down from the team. He posted on Instagram : "I have decided to quit for the national team. On the one hand, it has been a difficult decision, because there's practically nothing I love more than checking in with teammates and staff at Marienlyst. And there's practically nothing I love more than playing games in red and white in a sold-out, buzzing with anticipation Parken.

"At the same time I have felt a lot of confidence from Brian Riemer, and a personal highlight for me was the victory over Portugal in 2025 on exactly one of the magical evenings in Parken - there I took the leadership role in midfield, which I love to play out in.

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"On the other hand, it has been an easy decision because I would like to have more time with my family, and with the missed World Cup qualification it also feels natural now to make room for the talents that fortunately Denmark is still rich in.

"It was Åge Hareide who was the first to select me for the right national team, but even though he never gave me playing time, I experienced how he created room for cultural bearers like Simon, Schmeichel, Christian and Delaney to develop the unity, which the team in my belief lives on in day.

"My official debut took place in 2020, Kasper Hjulmand was the coach, and under him we played the best football and created the biggest results in my time with the team - and maybe more recently in the history of the Danish national team. Summer 2021 will always stand as the most beautiful chapter in my football career.

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"Now it's finished. I'm looking forward to backing up as a fan, but no longer as a part of the squad. Thank you players, staff and fans for helping make a boy's dream come true."

He received supportive messages from Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke, as well as former Denmark team-mate Christian Eriksen and Ivan Toney and Mads Roerslev, who he played with at Brentford.

The former Brentford captain joined Arsenal last summer in a £10million deal and has made 19 appearances across all competitions as a back-up midfielder. He has not started a single Premier League match, with Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi the first-choice picks in his position.