Portugal suffered an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Denmark in their first Nations League appearance since the international retirement of Cristiano Ronaldo. Playing in Braga, the home side looked out of sorts throughout the contest, appearing to lack the spark traditionally provided by the legendary forward.
The match began with a tribute to Ronaldo, who concluded his historic career last week. Players and mascots entered the pitch wearing jerseys featuring his name and number, while supporters displayed a large banner reading “Thank you, captain.” The crowd also held a minute of applause as the clock reached seven minutes.
Ronaldo, 41, retired following a high-profile dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus regarding his omission from a September fixture. That disagreement resulted in a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation. The veteran forward retires as the holder of world records for international appearances and goals, having netted 146 times in 234 matches since his 2003 debut, with the highlight of his tenure being the Euro 2016 title. And Portugal, in a dismal display, looked like they needed prime Rona, that row led to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner being handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese football federation and his subsequent retirement.
On the field, Denmark controlled the tempo from the opening whistle. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute to send the visitors into the break with a lead. Rasmus Hojlund extended that advantage with a brilliant volley just four minutes after the restart. The Napoli striker then delighted visiting fans in the 56th minute by drifting past defender Ruben Dias to smash a powerful shot into the net.
Discontent began to spread through the Estadio Municipal as Joachim Andersen headed in a fourth goal for the Danes. While Bernardo Silva managed a late consolation effort, it did little to mask a dismal performance. Despite the loss, Portugal remains qualified for the quarterfinals, having secured victories in all four of their prior group matches.
Denmark currently sits on nine points from five games and needs only a draw against Norway on Tuesday to secure their progression to the next round. Norway bolstered their own standing earlier on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Wales in Oslo. Antonio Nusa opened the scoring for the Norwegians, while Andreas Schjelderup and Erling Haaland added further goals.
For Wales, a late chipped finish from David Brooks provided a brief flicker of hope, but the result leaves Craig Bellamy’s side at the bottom of the group, facing the threat of relegation to League B.
