Norway vs Portugal had the look of a Haaland night for about three minutes. Erling Haaland equalised early in the second half at Ullevaal Stadion on Sunday, scoring his 22nd goal in the UEFA Nations League, a competition record he already held. Then Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland played a pass out from the back straight to Gonçalo Ramos, Ramos chipped him, and Portugal held on for a 2-1 win that puts them top of League A Group 4.
Portugal have now won both of their group games, while Norway have one win and one defeat after beating Denmark 3-2 on Thursday.
How the goals went in
João Félix opened the scoring in the 17th minute. According to ESPN’s match report, he brought down a cross from Pedro Neto and drilled a low shot inside the corner. Portugal took that 1-0 lead into half time.
Haaland levelled in the 51st minute, following a loose ball from a dangerous free kick, as beIN SPORTS’ live coverage described it. The equaliser lasted barely three minutes. Nyland tried a routine pass from the back, it went directly to Ramos, and the Portugal striker lifted the ball over the stranded keeper into an empty net. ESPN logs that goal in the 54th minute, beIN SPORTS in the 53rd.
“The most important thing is to show what I can do whenever I’m called upon and to contribute to the team,” Ramos said afterwards, per ESPN.
Haaland’s record, and Ronaldo on the bench
Haaland’s goal was his 22nd in the Nations League. ESPN reports that puts him seven clear of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović in the competition’s all time scoring list, and that he has now scored in 16 of his last 17 competitive games for Norway. It still wasn’t enough for a point.
Ronaldo, 41, never got off the bench. He had started Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales on Thursday, but both ESPN and beIN SPORTS confirmed he watched the whole of Sunday’s game as an unused substitute.
Nations League Group A4 table after Matchday 2
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 6 |
| 2 | Norway | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Denmark | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 4 | Wales | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | −3 | 0 |
Denmark beat Wales 2-0 in Copenhagen in the group’s other game on Sunday. Norway sit above Denmark on level points because they won the head to head meeting. Table built from ESPN’s standings and the group results.
Why this group matters: a quick Nations League explainer
League A is the top tier of the Nations League. The top two in each four team group go through to the quarter finals, which are played over two legs in March 2027. The teams at the bottom of each group risk dropping into League B, either directly or through a play off. With six games in total and Portugal already on six points, Norway can’t afford many more slips.
What’s next: Norway and Portugal meet again in a week
Both teams play on Thursday, October 1. Portugal visit Denmark at Parken in Copenhagen and Norway go to Wales at Cardiff City Stadium, with both games kicking off at 7:45pm BST (2:45pm ET).
Then comes the rematch. Portugal host Norway at Estádio do Dragão in Porto on Sunday, October 4, kick off 7:45pm local and UK time (2:45pm ET).
Elsewhere in the Nations League, catch up on Harry Kane hitting the bar from the spot as Spain beat England 3-2 at Wembley.
