Portugal Suffer Heaviest Defeat To Denmark In First Match Without Ronaldo

The Seleção lost at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, with Rasmus Højlund scoring twice to lead Denmark to an emphatic win.

Naija News reports that the encounter marked Portugal’s first outing since Ronaldo ended his 23-year international career on November 5, 2026. The 41-year-old retired with a world-record 234 appearances and 146 goals for his country.

Portugal honoured their former captain before kick-off, with players wearing shirts bearing his iconic number seven. Supporters also gave him a standing ovation around the seventh minute, while the stadium screens displayed messages reading “Obrigado, capitão” (Thank you, captain).

However, Denmark spoiled the occasion for the hosts, taking the lead through Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s 43rd-minute penalty after Rúben Dias handled a header from Højlund.

Højlund extended Denmark’s advantage five minutes into the second half before completing his brace in the 57th minute.

Joachim Andersen made it 4-0 in the 75th minute, handing Portugal their first four-goal defeat in an official home match.

Bernardo Silva scored a consolation goal in the third minute of stoppage time, but it was not enough to prevent Portugal from suffering a humiliating loss.

The defeat also ended Portugal’s record of never losing by more than one goal without Ronaldo since Spain beat them 3-0 on September 6 2003, shortly after the forward made his international debut.

It was also the first time Portugal had conceded four goals since Germany defeated them 4-2 at Euro 2020 in June 2021.

Despite the setback, Portugal remain top of Group 4 with 12 points and have already secured qualification for the quarter-finals before kick-off.

Denmark moved to nine points to keep their hopes of finishing top alive, while Portugal will face Wales in their final group fixture as they seek to maintain their position at the summit.

Copy link Copied! Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Telegram Follow Naija News on Google Author: Ernest Victor Ernest Victor is a news writer at Naija News with over 12 years of experience in journalism, specialising in news reporting, writing and editing. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Mass Communication from Kwara State University and a Master of Science (MSc) degree in the same field from the University of Lagos. Before joining Naija News as a sports writer in 2021, Ernest worked with several digital and mainstream media organisations (Lagos Traffic Radio and Lasgidi FM), where he gained extensive experience in news presentation, interviewing, news gathering, storytelling and editorial production. You can reach him via Email: Ernestvictor@naijanews.com