Portugal brushed aside the drama surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo to thrash Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen, maintaining their perfect UEFA Nations League record just a day after the veteran forward reportedly walked out of the national team’s camp.
Ronaldo Drama Overshadows the Buildup
The storyline heading into the match had nothing to do with tactics. Just 24 hours before kickoff, Ronaldo reportedly left Portugal’s camp after head coach Jorge Jesus informed him he would once again start from the substitutes’ bench — a repeat of the decision that saw Ronaldo benched for Portugal’s win over Norway days earlier. With his status for the match in serious doubt amid the fallout, all eyes were on how Portugal would respond without their talisman in the squad.
Portugal Answer in Style
Any concerns about Ronaldo’s absence affecting the team were put to rest within the opening quarter of an hour. João Cancelo opened the scoring in the 13th minute, finishing off a delivery from Gonçalo Ramos, before Ramos turned provider into scorer himself just twelve minutes later, netting in the 25th minute after being set up by Bruno Fernandes to make it 2-0. Denmark hit back through Mikkel Damsgaard in the 23rd minute, sandwiched between the two Portuguese goals, but the visitors continued to dominate proceedings.
Denmark pulled level at 2-2 early in the second half through Rasmus Højlund in the 53rd minute — a goal the Danish forward celebrated by performing Ronaldo’s trademark “Siu” celebration, a pointed nod to the ongoing saga. Portugal, however, had the last word. Vitinha restored the lead in the 67th minute, again created by Bruno Fernandes, before João Félix rounded off the scoring in the 87th minute to seal a convincing 4-2 win.
What It Means
The result extends Portugal’s perfect start to the competition, now sitting on 9 points from 3 games without a single goal conceded… except, of course, for the two let in on this occasion — still enough to keep them firmly top of Group A4 and unbeaten in the tournament. The performance will also fuel debate over whether Ronaldo’s camp walkout reflects a genuine rift with the coaching staff, especially given how comfortably the team performed without any apparent disruption on the pitch. For Denmark, despite a spirited response that saw them twice draw level, the result leaves them well off the pace in the group, managing just 3 points from 3 games.
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