Portugal recorded another clean sheet in the UEFA Nations League. A Group 4 competition, defeating Denmark 4-2 in the Parken Stadium of Copenhagen on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Portugal maintained its unbroken winning streak in the group, making it three wins out of three games played so far.
The victory came only a day after what was the hottest topic about this international break, as no signs were seen in the team that was led by coach Jorge Jesus despite the controversy involving its star player.
João Cancelo scored the first goal for Portugal in the 13th minute, with Gonçalo Ramos increasing the advantage for Portugal in the 25th minute, following Mikkel Damsgaard's equalising goal for the hosts in the 23rd minute that made the score 1-1.
Vitinha headed his team ahead in the 67th minute after the hosts equalised once again through Rasmus Højlund in the 53rd minute, while substitute João Félix put his side 4-2 ahead with a fourth goal in the 87th minute, with Diogo Dalot being his provider.
Photo: @AFP
The game came on the heels of a serious rift inside the Portuguese camp, with Cristiano Ronaldo reported to have stormed off from the Portuguese team training camp 24 hours ahead of the game after being told that he was set to be benched again as per coach Jorge Jesus.
It is even more remarkable how the Portuguese team managed to play such a calm and high-scorering game despite the absence of its key player, with analysts saying that the team did not seem to have been affected by the whole situation around its exit.
Denmark striker Rasmus Højlund added a layer of subtext to a game where Ronaldo's absence loomed heavily with his performance of the iconic "Siu" celebration after scoring the team's second equaliser.
Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes was picked as the star of the match by receiving a 9-out-of-10 grade from Goal.com as the clear man of the match who was instrumental in the Portuguese team's offensive play, acting as its cerebral engine. He was responsible for the assist of Vitinha's third goal.
Even though Denmark enjoyed the lion’s share of possession throughout the match, Portugal was much more effective in front of goal, managing ten shots on goal and an expected goals total of 2.67.
This means that Portugal now controls their group comfortably with nine points out of three matches and a positive goal difference of four goals, whereas Denmark is left with three points following the loss, equal to Norway and Wales, who also have three points each.
It must be noted that this outstanding form from Portugal in the group comes after they previously beat both Wales and Norway, with Félix scoring in both games and Ramos taking advantage of a goalkeeper mistake against Norway in Oslo.
In terms of future outlooks, the upcoming international matches are likely to see Portugal host Norway, with Denmark playing Wales, with both matches being particularly crucial as teams prepare for their final pushes within the Nations League competition.
