Full Time: Norway 1-2 Portugal. Goncalo Ramos scored three minutes after Erling Haaland's equaliser, punishing a goalkeeping error by Orjan Nyland, to give the reigning champions a second straight Nations League win and end Norway's 14-game unbeaten home run at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on September 27, 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo did not get off the bench.

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How the Match Unfolded

17' - Portugal 1-0. Joao Felix, who also scored in the 1-0 win over Wales three days earlier, stroked a fine finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

51' - Norway 1-1. Haaland tapped in from Patrick Berg's header across goal. The goal stretched his lead as the Nations League's all-time top scorer to seven over Ronaldo and Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrovic.

54' - Portugal 2-1. Nyland passed the ball straight to Ramos, who lobbed it into an empty net for his 12th international goal.

Ramos thought he had made it 3-1 before the hour after another Nyland error, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.

Portugal Absorb the Pressure

Norway had 59% of the ball and 20 shots, but Portugal's defence held firm. They made 32 clearances and 22 interceptions, and had kept a sixth consecutive clean sheet going until Haaland's goal just after the break. Clinical finishing, rather than volume, decided the match.

The Ronaldo Question

The story after the final whistle was not the scoreline. Ronaldo, 41, was left on the bench for the whole match, and reports say he was expecting to come on. According to reports, he walked straight down the tunnel without acknowledging the travelling fans and then missed training the next day. The Portuguese Football Federation has reportedly arranged a meeting between Ronaldo, coach Jorge Jesus and federation president Pedro Proenca.

Jesus said afterwards: "I did not realize he was upset. Only he can answer that. What is certain is that not playing him does not mean I do not rely on him."

Ronaldo had said publicly that he would do whatever the coach asked, "play, come off, or even not play." How the situation resolves will shape Jesus's early reign, which has produced two wins from two.

Group A4 Picture

  • Portugal: 2 played, 6 points
  • Norway: 2 played, 3 points

Portugal lead the group after beating Wales 1-0 in Lisbon and Norway 2-1 away. Norway have three points from their first two games. Denmark are the other side in the group, and Portugal's next fixture is reportedly against them.

Why This Result Matters

  • Perfect start to the title defence: Six points from two games, one of them away at a side that had not lost at home in 14 matches.
  • Ramos makes his case: A start and a winning goal gives Jesus a real selection debate up front, with Felix also in form.
  • Ronaldo's role under Jesus: Whether the captain accepts a reduced role, or the federation intervenes, is now the main talking point around the national team.

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Sources & Further Reading