OSLO, Norway, September 27, 2026: Portugal arrived in Oslo with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and Erling Haaland waiting on the other side. They left with something potentially more important than another three points: evidence that the defending UEFA Nations League champions can win a major away game without building their attack around their 41-year-old captain from the opening whistle.
João Félix scored for the second Nations League match in succession and Gonçalo Ramos struck only three minutes after Haaland had equalized as Portugal defeated Norway 2-1 at Ullevaal Stadion to take outright control of League A Group 4.
The result gave Jorge Jesus two victories from his first two competitive matches as Portugal coach. It also changed the early shape of a group in which Norway had entered Sunday carrying considerable confidence after beating Denmark 3-2 behind a Haaland double.
That was only one of the major stories across Sunday’s eight-match UEFA Nations League schedule.
Story at a glance
What Were Sunday’s UEFA Nations League 2026-27 Results?
UEFA had billed Norway against Portugal as one of Matchday 2’s biggest attractions because it offered the possibility of a first international meeting between Haaland and Ronaldo. The official Matchday 2 preview built much of the anticipation around those two generational goalscorers.
Why Did Cristiano Ronaldo Start Norway vs Portugal on the Bench?
Jesus left Ronaldo out of the starting XI and used Gonçalo Ramos through the middle instead.
How Did Portugal Beat Norway 2-1?
João Félix gave Portugal the lead in the 17th minute.
Is João Félix Becoming Portugal’s Most Important Nations League Attacker?
Two matches provide far too little evidence for a grand conclusion.
What Does Portugal’s Victory Mean for Nations League Group A4?
Portugal are now the only Group A4 team with six points.
Greece stunned Germany 1-0 to make it six points from six in Group A2. Mexx Meerdink scored twice as the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 and gave Xavi Hernández his first victory as national-team coach. Denmark recovered from its opening defeat by beating Wales 2-0, Austria remained perfect in League B, and the Republic of Ireland responded to its Kosovo loss with a 3-0 victory over Israel.
The results followed a Saturday program led by Spain’s victory over England, which The Sports Encounter previewed as the centerpiece of the opening Nations League weekend.
What Were Sunday’s UEFA Nations League 2026-27 Results?
| League | Group | Match | Result | Main Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League D | D2 | Lithuania vs Azerbaijan | 1-1 | Both goals arrived inside 14 minutes |
| League A | A2 | Serbia vs Netherlands | 1-2 | Mexx Meerdink scored twice for Xavi’s first win |
| League A | A4 | Denmark vs Wales | 2-0 | Denmark responded to its Norway defeat |
| League B | B3 | Austria vs Kosovo | 3-1 | Austria moved to six points from two games |
| League D | D1 | Gibraltar vs Andorra | 0-0 | Andorra took its first point |
| League A | A2 | Germany vs Greece | 0-1 | Greece won again as Klopp’s Germany stumbled |
| League A | A4 | Norway vs Portugal | 1-2 | Félix and Ramos answered Haaland |
| League B | B3 | Israel vs Republic of Ireland | 0-3 | Ireland scored three times inside 25 minutes |
UEFA had billed Norway against Portugal as one of Matchday 2’s biggest attractions because it offered the possibility of a first international meeting between Haaland and Ronaldo. The official Matchday 2 preview built much of the anticipation around those two generational goalscorers.
Jorge Jesus changed the script before kickoff.
Why Did Cristiano Ronaldo Start Norway vs Portugal on the Bench?
Jesus left Ronaldo out of the starting XI and used Gonçalo Ramos through the middle instead.
It was the first time since September 2024 that Ronaldo had begun an official Portugal match among the substitutes.
Jesus explained before the game that workload management influenced the decision. Ronaldo had played nearly 70 minutes against Wales three days earlier, and Portugal are navigating an unusually compressed international window containing four competitive fixtures.
That decision matters well beyond one night in Oslo.
Ronaldo remains a historic figure and an active part of the national team at 41. TSE’s detailed review of Ronaldo’s World Cup career showed how Portugal were already learning to separate his enduring penalty-box value from the expectation that he must control every match.
Sunday gave Jesus an early opportunity to test that distinction.
Portugal did not need to replace Ronaldo with one individual pretending to be Ronaldo. They changed the distribution of responsibility.
How Did Portugal Beat Norway 2-1?
João Félix gave Portugal the lead in the 17th minute.
That alone continued an important early pattern under Jesus. Félix also scored the only goal in Portugal’s 1-0 victory over Wales on Matchday 1, collecting Nuno Mendes’ pass before finishing from outside the penalty area.
The official UEFA Matchday 1 report described Portugal as dominant for long periods against Wales despite winning by only one goal.
Norway posed a different problem.
Haaland equalized in the 51st minute, briefly changing the emotional balance of the match and threatening to extend the momentum generated by his two goals against Denmark.
Portugal’s response took three minutes.
Ramos made it 2-1 in the 54th.
That timing was as significant as the scorer.
Norway had just found the goal capable of turning Ullevaal into a very different stadium. Portugal did not retreat, lose its structure or wait for Ronaldo to rescue the game. The striker selected in his place restored the lead almost immediately.
Ramos has done this before in high-pressure Portugal matches. During the World Cup, he scored the stoppage-time winner that carried Portugal past Croatia in the Round of 32.
Sunday’s goal was less dramatic in timing, but potentially more revealing tactically.
Is João Félix Becoming Portugal’s Most Important Nations League Attacker?
Two matches provide far too little evidence for a grand conclusion.
They provide enough evidence to ask the question.
Portugal have scored three goals in the new Nations League campaign. João Félix has two of them.
His role is also becoming interesting because it does not depend entirely on one attacking structure. He scored against Wales with Ronaldo starting and scored again in Oslo with Ramos leading the line.
That adaptability is valuable for Jesus.
Portugal have spent much of the past several years possessing an extraordinary list of attacking names without always turning that depth into coherent attacking relationships.
The issue was visible during parts of the World Cup. The emphatic 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan showed how dangerous Portugal could become when Ronaldo, the wide players and midfield runners connected properly, but that fluidity was not always reproducible.
Portugal eventually went out to Spain in the Round of 16, a defeat that ended Ronaldo’s final World Cup run and accelerated the transition into the Jorge Jesus era.
Félix’s early Nations League production suggests Jesus may be finding another route.
What Does Portugal’s Victory Mean for Nations League Group A4?
Portugal are now the only Group A4 team with six points.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
| 2 | Denmark | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Norway | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Wales | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
The importance of first and second place is greater than conventional league-table pride. Under the 2026-27 Nations League format, both the winner and runner-up from each League A group advance to the March 2027 quarterfinals.
Portugal therefore have an early three-point cushion over both Norway and Denmark.
That is particularly useful because Denmark are next.
Did Erling Haaland Still Give Norway a Positive?
Yes, even in defeat.
Haaland has now scored three goals across Norway’s opening two Nations League fixtures after his brace decided the 3-2 Matchday 1 victory over Denmark.
His form is hardly surprising after the World Cup he produced.
TSE followed how Haaland’s late goal carried Norway past Côte d’Ivoire in the World Cup knockouts, part of a tournament in which Norway reached the quarterfinals and their striker established himself as one of its most prolific players.
The concern for Norway is not Haaland.
It is what happens around him when the opponent survives his decisive moment.
Against Denmark, Haaland’s second goal became the winner. Against Portugal, his equalizer survived for only three minutes.
Why Was Greece’s 1-0 Win Over Germany Sunday’s Biggest Upset?
Portugal’s victory was the headline result. Greece produced the shock.
Dimitrios Kourbelis scored in the 74th minute as Greece defeated Germany 1-0 and moved to six points from two matches in Group A2.
Greece had already come from behind to beat Serbia 2-1 on Matchday 1.
Now they have beaten Germany away.
That creates an unexpectedly serious early table.
| Position | Team | Played | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | 2 | 6 | +2 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 2 | 4 | +1 |
| 3 | Germany | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| 4 | Serbia | 2 | 0 | -2 |
Germany’s position is especially uncomfortable because this international window began as the start of Jürgen Klopp’s national-team project.
His opening 1-1 draw against the Netherlands was not disastrous. Following it with a home defeat to Greece changes the temperature.
Klopp is experimenting with an unusual split-squad strategy across the extended international window, but the context around Germany already carried pressure after its World Cup. Paraguay eliminated Germany on penalties in one of the major shocks of the 2026 tournament.
Two Nations League matches later, the reset remains unfinished.
How Did Mexx Meerdink Give Xavi His First Netherlands Victory?
The Netherlands had needed Cody Gakpo’s stoppage-time goal to rescue a 1-1 draw against Germany in Xavi Hernández’s first match.
In Belgrade, Xavi received a different kind of response.
Mexx Meerdink converted a penalty in the 30th minute after Crysencio Summerville was fouled inside the area.
Luka Jović equalized for Serbia immediately after halftime, but Meerdink struck again in the 69th minute to complete a 2-1 Dutch victory.
The result gives the Netherlands four points and puts them directly behind Greece in Group A2.
It is also Xavi’s first win since taking control of the national team. TSE examined the larger significance of his appointment when the Netherlands handed Xavi a contract through the 2030 World Cup and made him their first foreign men’s coach since 1978.
His first victory came with a recognizable principle: territorial control followed by enough attacking volume to force Serbia into prolonged defensive work.
The Netherlands are not yet a finished Xavi team. They are already beginning to look like one.
How Did Denmark Respond After Losing to Norway?
Denmark needed a result after allowing three goals against Norway on Matchday 1.
They got one against Wales.
A goalless first half in Copenhagen gave way to Danish control after the interval. Ben Davies turned Mikkel Damsgaard’s delivery into his own net in the 53rd minute before Gustav Isaksen made it 2-0 in the 66th.
Isaksen had already seen a first-half goal ruled out for offside, while Damsgaard struck the post.
The victory brings Denmark level with Norway on three points and creates an important Matchday 3 meeting with Portugal.
Wales, meanwhile, have lost 1-0 to Portugal and 2-0 to Denmark. They are the only Group A4 team without a point and, more significantly, without a goal.
Why Are Austria Already Taking Control of League B Group 3?
Austria have quietly produced one of the cleanest starts anywhere in the competition.
After beating Israel 3-1 on Matchday 1, Ralf Rangnick’s side defeated Kosovo by the same score on Sunday.
David Affengruber opened the scoring after 23 minutes. Junior Adamu doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time before Carney Chukwuemeka made it 3-0 in the 61st minute.
Edon Zhegrova converted a late penalty for Kosovo, but the result was already beyond serious recovery.
Austria therefore have six points, six goals scored and two conceded.
How Did the Republic of Ireland Recover From the Kosovo Defeat?
Ireland’s first Nations League match ended with an 83rd-minute Vedat Muriqi goal giving Kosovo a 1-0 victory.
Sunday’s response was immediate and brutal.
Troy Parrott scored after 13 minutes against Israel. Adam Idah made it 2-0 three minutes later. Jack Moylan added the third in the 25th.
Continue the Soccer Story
Three goals inside the opening 25 minutes changed the entire complexion of Ireland’s campaign.
The 3-0 victory moved Ireland onto three points, level with Kosovo but behind unbeaten Austria.
It also gives Ireland a positive goal difference heading into its next meeting with the group leaders.
What Happened in Lithuania vs Azerbaijan and Gibraltar vs Andorra?
League D produced two very different draws.
Lithuania and Azerbaijan did all their scoring almost immediately.
Armandas Kučys converted a ninth-minute penalty for Lithuania before Mahir Emreli equalized five minutes later. The remaining 76 minutes produced no further goal, leaving Lithuania on four points after its opening victory over Liechtenstein.
Gibraltar and Andorra never found a goal.
Andorra created the greater volume of chances but could not convert them as the sides finished 0-0 at Europa Sports Park.
For Andorra, the result at least delivered a first point after the 2-1 Matchday 1 defeat to Malta.
What Did Nations League Sunday Tell Us About Portugal?
The temptation after a win like this is to turn one selection decision into a referendum on Ronaldo’s international future.
That would miss the more useful conclusion.
Portugal do not need to choose between respecting what Ronaldo can still provide and developing ways to win without requiring him to start every match.
Those ideas can coexist.
Jesus rested Ronaldo. Félix scored again. Haaland equalized. Ramos answered almost immediately. Portugal protected the lead and moved three points clear at the top of the group.
That is healthy squad behavior.
Portugal remain the defending Nations League champions after defeating Spain on penalties in the 2025 final. Repeating that achievement will require more than one forward, more than one tactical structure and more than one generation.
Oslo offered the first real sign that Jorge Jesus understands the problem.
The harder part is proving this was not a one-night solution.
UEFA Nations League 2026-27 Sunday FAQs
What Was the Norway vs Portugal Score?
Portugal defeated Norway 2-1 in Oslo on September 27, 2026.
Who Scored for Portugal Against Norway?
João Félix scored in the 17th minute and Gonçalo Ramos scored Portugal’s winner in the 54th minute.
Did Erling Haaland Score Against Portugal?
Yes. Haaland equalized for Norway in the 51st minute before Ramos restored Portugal’s lead three minutes later.
Why Did Cristiano Ronaldo Not Start Against Norway?
Jorge Jesus managed Ronaldo’s workload after the 41-year-old had played nearly 70 minutes against Wales three days earlier during a four-match international window.
How Many Points Do Portugal Have in Nations League Group A4?
Portugal have six points from two victories and lead Group A4 ahead of Denmark and Norway, who both have three.
Who Beat Germany in the UEFA Nations League?
Greece defeated Germany 1-0 through a 74th-minute goal from Dimitrios Kourbelis.
Who Is Leading Nations League Group A2?
Greece lead Group A2 with six points after victories over Serbia and Germany. The Netherlands are second with four.
Did Xavi Win His First Match as Netherlands Coach?
No. His first match was a 1-1 draw with Germany. His first victory came in his second match when the Netherlands defeated Serbia 2-1.
Who Scored Twice for the Netherlands Against Serbia?
Mexx Meerdink scored both Dutch goals, including a first-half penalty and the 69th-minute winner.
Which Teams Won Both of Their Opening Nations League Matches?
Among the groups playing Sunday, Portugal, Greece and Austria all finished Matchday 2 with six points from two victories.
Portugal
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