Ethan Pinnock, Mikkel Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen all fell short in World Cup playoff finals on Tuesday night, with Jamaica losing to DR Congo and Denmark beaten on penalties by Czechia.
Brentford’s internationals ended the night with disappointment as Ethan Pinnock, Mikkel Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen all missed out on a place at the 2026 World Cup. Jamaica were beaten 1-0 after extra time by DR Congo, while Denmark lost on penalties to Czech Republic after a 2-2 draw in Prague. It meant all three players fell short at the final hurdle.
Denmark
Denmark’s defeat will feel the cruellest from a Brentford perspective because they came so close. Czechia beat them 3-1 in the shootout after the match finished 2-2 following extra time, with all four goals in the game coming from set pieces. Denmark twice had to respond from behind and did enough to stay alive in the contest, but the night ultimately swung in the shootout. There was an extra sting for Brentford in the way it unfolded too. Mathias Jensen was sent on in extra time, with the idea clearly to give Denmark another option from the spot, only to then miss his penalty in the shootout.
For Brentford, that leaves a frustrating end to what had been a positive international break for Damsgaard in particular, having already scored and assisted in Denmark’s semifinal win over North Macedonia. Instead, the final hurdle proved too much. Jensen’s miss inevitably becomes part of the story, but the bigger picture is that Denmark let a World Cup place slip after staying in the match for 120 minutes.
Jamaica
Pinnock’s night also ended disappointment. DR Congo beat Jamaica 1-0 in extra time in Guadalajara, the winning goal coming in the 100th minute when Axel Tuanzebe scored from a corner. Jamaica had already expended plenty of energy getting through their previous playoff match against New Caledonia, but fatigue became part of the story as DR Congo controlled long stretches before finally finding the breakthrough.
That fixture also carried an extra Brentford angle because DR Congo’s squad included former Bees striker Yoane Wissa. In the end, Pinnock was on the wrong side of that meeting, with Jamaica falling one game short of what would have been only their second World Cup appearance. For Pinnock, the frustration is obvious. These are rare opportunities, and Jamaica had got themselves within touching distance of the finals before coming undone in extra time.
From a Brentford point of view, the overall picture is one of narrow margins and heavy workloads. Denmark lost on penalties after 120 minutes, while Jamaica also went the distance before conceding in extra time, which meant Pinnock, Damsgaard and Jensen all ended the night having played through one of the most demanding kinds of international fixture. While many players will return from the break having had minutes managed or rest built into their schedule, Brentford’s trio come back after full-blooded playoff defeats with little recovery time and no World Cup reward to show for it.