Portugal continued their perfect start to the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday, producing an important team performance in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was not involved after leaving Portugal’s training camp ahead of the match. With the spotlight firmly on the veteran forward’s absence, João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix provided the goals as Portugal secured their third consecutive Group A4 victory.
The result leaves Portugal on nine points from three matches, six points clear at the top of their group.
João Cancelo sets the tone
João Cancelo was the first Portugal player to make an impact.
The experienced defender opened the scoring in the 13th minute, giving Portugal an early advantage and showing that the responsibility for creating and finishing attacks would not rest on one player.
Cancelo’s goal was also the first of six in an entertaining match that saw the lead change hands several times before Portugal eventually pulled away.
His contribution highlighted the attacking quality Portugal can get from its full-backs, particularly when they are able to move forward and support the team’s attacking structure.
Gonçalo Ramos takes his opportunity
With Ronaldo unavailable, Gonçalo Ramos started as Portugal’s central striker and responded with an important goal.
Ramos restored Portugal’s lead in the 25th minute after Denmark had equalised through Mikkel Damsgaard. The striker finished from close range after receiving the ball from Bruno Fernandes.
His performance was particularly significant because he had already started Portugal’s previous Nations League match against Norway.
The 25-year-old is now showing that Portugal have another established attacking option capable of operating through the centre of the attack when Ronaldo is not involved.
Vitinha provides another answer
Vitinha produced one of the most important moments of the match when he put Portugal back in front in the second half.
After Rasmus Højlund had brought Denmark level at 2-2 in the 53rd minute, Vitinha restored Portugal’s advantage with a header in the 67th minute.
It was a landmark moment for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who scored his first goal for Portugal at senior international level.
The goal also demonstrated Portugal’s ability to find solutions from midfield rather than relying exclusively on their forwards for goals.
João Félix seals the victory
João Félix then put the result beyond Denmark’s reach.
The forward came off the bench and scored Portugal’s fourth goal in the 87th minute, finishing a quick counter-attack to complete the scoring. Diogo Dalot provided the assist.
It was Félix’s third goal in the current Nations League campaign, according to UEFA’s match report.
His contribution added another layer to Portugal’s attacking depth and gave head coach Jorge Jesus an effective option from the bench.
Portugal showed more than individual brilliance
The biggest takeaway from the match was not simply that Portugal scored four goals without Ronaldo.
It was that several different players contributed at important moments.
Cancelo opened the scoring. Ramos restored the lead after Denmark’s first equaliser. Vitinha responded after Denmark levelled again, while Félix finished the game late.
That spread of attacking contributions allowed Portugal to overcome Denmark’s two equalising goals and maintain their perfect start to the Nations League campaign.
Ronaldo’s absence remains a major talking point
Ronaldo’s absence inevitably dominated the build-up to the match.
The 41-year-old had already been left on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway before leaving the national-team camp. Reuters reported that his departure followed a conversation involving Portugal’s coach Jorge Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
However, the result against Denmark showed that Portugal were able to remain focused on the match itself.
Rather than allowing the off-field situation to dominate their performance, the European champions produced four goals and maintained their position at the top of Group A4.
What the victory means for Portugal
Portugal now have nine points from three matches after victories over Wales, Norway and Denmark.
Their perfect record gives them a strong position in Group A4 as the Nations League campaign continues. Denmark, meanwhile, remain on three points after three matches.
For Jorge Jesus, the match also provided valuable evidence of the depth available within his squad.
The performances of Ramos, Vitinha, Félix and Cancelo do not erase Ronaldo’s importance to Portuguese football, but they demonstrate that Portugal possess several players capable of taking responsibility when one of their most experienced stars is unavailable.
A significant night for Portugal’s next chapter
Portugal’s victory in Copenhagen will inevitably generate further discussion about the team’s future without Ronaldo.
But the match itself offered a straightforward footballing conclusion: Portugal had enough quality across the squad to overcome Denmark, even after twice surrendering the lead.
With nine points from three matches, the focus now turns to how Jorge Jesus manages the squad and whether the team can maintain its momentum in the remaining Nations League fixtures.
For now, Portugal have continued winning, and a new group of players has shown that it can contribute when the spotlight is at its brightest.
Our Soccer Updates will continue to follow Portugal, the UEFA Nations League and the latest developments in international football.
