Czechia and Denmark drew 2-2 in Prague on 31 March before Matej Kovář saved two Danish penalties in a shootout Czechia won 3-1. Hojlund hit the bar during normal time; at 2-2, it could have gone either way before the penalties. Czechia's first World Cup since 2006 ends a 20-year absence and completes the UEFA Path D final begun at the semi-final stage .
Kovář's two saves were the decisive act. His performances throughout the playoff window were central to Czechia's progression; the squad's Bundesliga core provides cohesion their qualifying group stage did not fully reveal. Denmark, consistent qualifiers across the last decade, enter a re-examination of their squad and penalty preparation after an elimination that will sting regardless of the setting.
