Portugal suffered a heavy 4–0 defeat against Denmark in Braga during the UEFA Nations League, despite opening the evening with a special tribute to the recently retired Cristiano Ronaldo.
The visiting side broke the deadlock just before halftime when Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg converted a penalty in the 43rd minute. Rasmus Højlund then extended the lead with two quick goals in the 49th and 57th minutes.
Joachim Andersen added a fourth in the 75th minute before Bernardo Silva scored a late consolation for the hosts, though the late response came after manager Jorge Jesus turned to his bench around the hour mark with the introductions of Trincão, Palhinha and Forbs.
Before kickoff, Portuguese players wore shirts featuring the number 7 to honor Ronaldo, who ended his international career after more than twenty years and 200-plus caps, according to DAZN coverage. The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently announced that the iconic number 7 shirt will be retired from future use in a special design featuring a horizontal line across the digit, as detailed by La Libre.
Despite the defeat, Portugal remains at the top of Group D with 12 points from five matches, holding a six-point cushion over Denmark ahead of their final group fixture against Wales.
Manager Jorge Jesus had called up several new faces for the squad, including Monza striker Gustavo Varela and AS Roma midfielder Rodrigo Mora, alongside Al-Nassr teammate Joao Félix, while naming Paris Saint-Germain double European champions Vitinha and João Neves in the selection but missing the injured Nuno Mendes.
In other League action on Saturday, Austria defeated Ireland 1–0 to maintain first place in their group ahead of a fixture against Israel, according to Foot Mercato. Northern Ireland also claimed a 1–0 victory against Ukraine to take over the top spot in their section.
Sweden confirmed their place at the summit of their group after a dramatic 3–2 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Nils Svensson opened the scoring in the 5th minute before Viktor Gyökeres converted two penalties in the 11th and 45+2nd minutes. Armin Gigović and Sead Kolašinac struck back for the Bosniens after the break, securing their side a spot in the promotion playoffs.
Romania defeated Poland 2–1 after goals from Alexandru Cicâldău in the 68th minute and Dennis Man in the 72nd minute, though the result leaves the Romanian side at the bottom of the group pending their upcoming match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Portugal travels to face Wales on Tuesday for their final group-stage fixture in the UEFA Nations League.
Earlier coverage: Denmark Defeats Portugal 4-1 in UEFA Nations League
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