Defending champion France lost its Nations League title and faced the dim prospect of relegation after losing at home to Croatia 1-0 on Monday.
Meanwhile, while their group leader Denmark beat Austria 2-0 to boost its Final Four bid.
Denmark has nine points, two more than second-placed Croatia with only the group winner going through. Austria was third with four points and rock-bottom France had two after their fourth game without a win. The team in last place is relegated.
Croatia scored with a fifth-minute penalty from standout midfielder Luka Modric at the Stade de France. It is where he played so commandingly for&nbsp;Champions League winner Real Madrid&nbsp;in the final just over two weeks ago, and he belied his advancing years with a display full of astute passing and clever movement into space.
Croatia&rsquo;s fans chanted, &ldquo;Luka, Luka,&rdquo; to their inspirational captain as he gave them a thumbs up after the game.
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In Copenhagen, wide forwards Jonas Older Wind and Andreas Skov Olsen got Denmark&rsquo;s goals in the first half.
Croatia hosts Denmark in a table-topping clash on Sept. 22.
France coach Didier Deschamps finally dropped first-choice forward Antoine Griezmann, who has not scored for the team since early January, and instead selected Christopher Nkunku in attack alongside Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.
It was Nkunku&rsquo;s astute pass which set up Mbappe&rsquo;s late equalizer in a 1-1 draw in Austria on Friday.
Perhaps to rouse the players, the band stopped playing at the start of the &ldquo;La Marseillaise&rdquo; and most of the 77,400 crowd at Stade de France sang it A cappella style.
The home fans fell quiet when Croatia won a penalty after Ibrahima Konate fouled Josip Brekalo for the penalty.
Mike Maignan started in goal ahead of long-standing No. 1 Hugo Lloris and guessed the right way but he could not stop Modric&rsquo;s powerful strike arrowing into the left corner.
France beat Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 <a href="https://www.news18.com/world/">World</a> Cup final but the Croats were better on the night against a French side lacking intensity in midfield. Led by the craft of 36-year-old Modric, Croatia&rsquo;s midfield expertly cut the supply line to star forwards Benzema and Mbappe.
Benzema went close midway through the second half as France found more space and Griezmann received a loud ovation when he came on for the last 10 minutes.
Benzema had an injury-time header well saved by goalkeeper Ivica Ivusic as French hopes evaporated.
A youth ran onto the field at the final whistle and sprinted to Benzema, forcing security to intervene, but Benzema hugged the boy, removed his jersey and handed it to him.
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OTHER GAMES
In League B, Group 2 leader Israel twice came from behind to draw with Iceland 2-2.
In League C, Kazakhstan took control of Group 3 after beating Slovakia 2-1 at home to move onto 10 points, four ahead of the Slovaks in the second spot.
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Azerbaijan beat Belarus 2-0 at home in the other game.

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