Portugal suffered its heaviest defeat in over twenty-three years after losing 4-1 to Denmark on Saturday night in the UEFA Nations League.
Played at the Municipal Stadium in Braga during the fifth round of the group stage, the match marked an unwanted milestone for the national team in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Goal.com reported that it is the largest margin of defeat for the side in any match without their former captain since September 6, 2003, when Portugal lost 3-0 to Spain, just weeks after the initial international appearance of the player nicknamed the Don against Kazakhstan on August 20 of that year.
Braga Defeat Sets Unwanted Marks
The visiting Danish side capitalized on defensive vulnerabilities during a dominant second half. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute following a handball by Rúben Dias.
Rasmus Højlund extended the lead with goals in the 50th and 57th minutes. Joachim Andersen added a fourth in the 75th minute, sealing a four-goal deficit on home soil.
The result marked the first time Portugal has conceded four goals in a home competitive match since a 4-4 draw against Cyprus in Guimarães on September 3, 2010.
The Portuguese defense also conceded four goals in a single match for the first time since a 4-2 defeat against Germany at the European Championship on June 19, 2021, and the team fell by three goals for the first time since a 3-0 friendly loss to the Netherlands on June 26, 2018.
End of an Era
The heavy loss arrived during Portugal’s first fixture since Ronaldo announced his international retirement, turning an evening intended to honor the former captain into a difficult night for the team and its supporters. The forward concluded his career with 146 goals in 234 appearances as the all-time leading scorer for the national team, having led the country to victory at Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League on two occasions, in 2019 and 2025.
Portugal Leads Group 4 as Denmark Keeps Qualification Hopes Alive
Despite the setback, Portugal remains at the top of Group 4 in League A. The team had already secured qualification for the quarterfinals prior to the fixture, holding onto 12 points.
Denmark improved to nine points with the victory, keeping its qualification hopes alive heading into the final round of group matches.
