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Laudrup returned to the World Cup stage after a 12-year absence in 1998. Clive Brunskill/Allsport |
Denmark's greatest ever player graced two World Cups 12 years apart. A supremely imaginative forward, Laudrup broke into the Danish side as an 18-year-old in 1982.
By the time he made his World Cup debut in Mexico in 1986, as part of the "Danish Dynamite" team that set the first round of the tournament alight, he was already an international star at Juventus.
While forward partner Preben Elkjaer scored the goals, Laudrup took on the creative duties and scored just once, in the 6-1 first round demolition of Uruguay.
Having scorched through its first round group, Denmark came unstuck in the second round against Spain, losing 5-1.
That could have been Laudup's only contribution to World Cup history. The Danes failed to qualify in 1990 and 1994 and Laudrup even missed their unexpected success at the 1992 European Championship after falling out with coach Richard Moller-Nielsen over his defensive tactics.
But Laudrup was back in Danish squad for the 1998 finals in France and celebrated his 34th birthday during an impressive run to the quarterfinals that included a 4-1 win over Nigeria in the second round.
Laudrup's 104th and final international was in Denmark's 3-2 quarterfinal defeat by Brazil and his performances in the competition earned him a place in FIFA's all-star squad for the tournament.
