Denmark defeated Portugal 4-1 on Saturday 14 November 2026 in the UEFA Nations League, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring twice in the second half. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Joachim Andersen also scored for the visitors, while Bernardo Silva grabbed a late consolation for Portugal. The match took place at Estádio Nacional and was Portugal’s first outing after Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from international football. Despite the defeat, Portugal remained ahead of Denmark in the group table shown in the match report.
Hojbjerg gives Denmark a first-half lead
The Danish opening goal was scored in the 43rd minute, when midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg converted a penalty. The goal arrived shortly before the break and gave the visitors an advantage after a first half in which both teams had created situations to attack. Portugal entered the interval trailing, and the responsibility for changing the score fell to their forwards and attacking midfielders. Denmark, however, did not merely attempt to defend the narrow lead. The visitors continued to seek opportunities after the break and turned the advantage into a much wider winning margin. The opening penalty provided the foundation for that second-half performance.
Hojlund scores twice in eight minutes
Rasmus Hojlund doubled Denmark’s lead in the 49th minute, only a short time after the second period began. He added a second goal in the 57th minute to make the score 3-0. Those two contributions came eight minutes apart and were central to the visitors’ victory. Portugal had now conceded three goals before finding a response, leaving an increasingly difficult situation as the clock moved on. The double is an important confirmed fact because it identifies the player who contributed the greatest number of goals to Denmark’s four-goal total. It also shows that Denmark’s scoring was spread across the opening half and a particularly productive early part of the second.
Andersen adds a fourth before Portugal respond
Joachim Andersen scored for Denmark in the 75th minute, taking the result to 4-0. Portugal eventually found the net through Bernardo Silva in second-half stoppage time, around the 93rd minute. The Portuguese goal reduced the deficit but arrived too late to change the outcome of the match. The final score was therefore 4-1 in favour of Denmark. Describing the late Portuguese goal as a consolation is appropriate because Denmark’s lead remained three goals at full-time. The timing of the five goals also explains the different phases of the contest, from the visitors’ narrow half-time lead to their decisive second-half advantage.
Portugal begin a new era without Ronaldo
The result came in the first international match since Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from the Portugal national team, an important backdrop to the fixture. The former captain had been a defining figure for the side over more than two decades. The match report should not, however, be treated as proof that his absence caused every defensive and attacking difficulty against Denmark. A single result cannot establish such a direct explanation. The players on the field were responsible for their actions, while the circumstances of the wider transition are longer-term matters for coaches and analysts. Denmark’s effectiveness remains part of the explanation for the score.
Group standings and what the numbers show
Following this game, the match information listed Portugal on 12 points from five games and Denmark on nine, with Norway on six and Wales on three. Those figures show that Denmark’s victory narrowed the gap to the group leaders rather than immediately putting the visitors in first place. The Guardian’s match data also recorded eight Portuguese shots on target against four for Denmark, with possession divided equally between the teams. This contrast illustrates that the number of attempts does not always correspond to the number of goals. Denmark converted its opportunities decisively while Portugal’s attempts produced only one late goal.
Scorers and major facts
- Final score: Portugal 1, Denmark 4.
- Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored a first-half penalty in the 43rd minute.
- Rasmus Hojlund scored in the 49th and 57th minutes.
- Joachim Andersen added Denmark’s fourth in the 75th.
- Bernardo Silva scored Portugal’s late consolation in stoppage time.
- Portugal still led the group table on 12 points, ahead of Denmark on nine.
These details describe the completed match. Future fixtures and the final group order should be reported separately once those matches have been played.
What remains to be confirmed
- The remaining group results and final rankings.
- Any squad decisions announced by the two national coaches.
- The disciplinary or fitness situation of players before the next games.
Source: The Guardian
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