As international debuts go, you won’t find many more successful than Mads Hermansen’s on the night when the West Ham United goalkeeper finally earned his first cap for Denmark.
Brian Riemer’s side thrashed North Macedonia 4-0 in Copenhagen to set up a World Cup play-off final against Tomas Soucek’s Czech Republic.
Unfortunately for the two West Ham United teammates, there is only room at the 2026 World Cup for the one of ’em. Tuesday’s take-off clash in Prague will determine which of Soucek or Mads Hermansen go on to represent the claret and blues on the biggest stage of all.
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Mads Hermansen of West Ham United celebrates after teammate Tomas Soucek (not pictured) scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at London Stadium on February 10, 2026 in London, England.
The former Brondby glovesman may fancy his chances of starting at the upcoming ‘festival of football’, too.
Hermansen has the Danish number one jersey in his grasp following injuries to Chelsea’s Filip Jorgensen and Celtic’s Kasper Schmeichel; a grip he tightened with a debut clean sheet on Thursday in the capital.
Mads Hermansen hailed as West Ham United ace helps Denmark beat North Macedonia
Danish publication Berlinske were impressed enough by the newcomer that they opted to hand Hermansen a rating of 7/10 despite the fact he had only one shot to save.
“He didn’t have much to do for long periods,” they write, “but he delivered exactly what was expected.”
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West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo replaced Alphonse Areola with Hermansen partly because of his qualities in possession. The 25-year-old’s distribution caught the eye here. Hermansen completed 77 per cent of his passes while enabling the Danes to dominate all across the pitch.
Mads Hermansen - FBL-WC-2026-UEFA-DEN-MKD-QUALIFIER
Photo by Liselotte Sabroe / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images
Berlinske go as far as to label Hermansen a goalkeeper-turned-‘playmaker’.
“He was incredibly secure with his feet, acting almost as an extra playmaker in the build-up phase. He radiates a calmness and authority that spreads to the rest of the defence. A very solid performance where he stayed focused despite the lack of direct threats.”
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El Hadji Malick Diouf and Jarrod Bowen celebrate Fulham v West Ham United - Premier League
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Hermansen achieves a ‘dream’ as he emulates Gianluigi Buffon
Hermansen now has something in common with Gianluigi Buffon. One of the greatest goalkeepers of all time made his Italy debut in a World Cup play-off against Russia in 1997.
After watching a staggering 32 games from the bench since his first call-up in 2023, Hermansen made his long-awaited bow in a similarly high-pressure situation. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.
“It was great and fantastic, and I enjoyed every second,” a delighted and adrenaline-fuelled Hermansen told BT at full-time.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve been part of the national team for three years now, so it’s been a goal to go on the field with the boys like that.”
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