Portugal Crushed 4-1 By Denmark In First Match After Cristiano Ronaldo's Retirement

Portugal were hammered 4-1 by Denmark on Saturday in a humiliating UEFA Nations League defeat, their first match since Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football. Rasmus Hojlund starred with a superb brace as Denmark climbed to second place in Group A4 and moved closer to securing a quarter-final berth with an outstanding performance in Braga. The Danes now have nine points from five matches, three behind Portugal, who had already secured qualification for the last eight after winning their first four group games.

A draw against third-placed Norway, who defeated Wales 3-1 earlier in the day, will be enough to send Denmark through. Portugal, meanwhile, will hope Saturday's collapse is not a sign of things to come in the post-Ronaldo era.

"There are no nights to forget; it was a night of learning and of seeing the mistakes we made," said Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

"Denmark were also very clinical. They scored from the chances they had, and it was a match where things ultimately went wrong for us."

Ahead of kick-off, Portugal paid tribute to Ronaldo, who announced his international retirement last week. The players and mascots entered the field wearing shirts bearing Ronaldo's iconic No. 7 and his name.

Fans unveiled a giant banner reading "Thank You Captain" as the teams walked out, while applause echoed around the stadium when the match clock reached the seventh minute.

Ronaldo made his Portugal debut in 2003 and went on to become the most-capped player and highest scorer in international football history, scoring 146 goals in 234 appearances.

The crowning achievement of his international career was leading Portugal to Euro 2016 glory, although his international journey ended on a controversial note after a fallout with head coach Jorge Jesus over his omission from a Nations League fixture in September.

Denmark Dominate

That dispute was followed by a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation before Ronaldo confirmed his retirement. Portugal looked desperately short of his influence during a dismal display in Braga.

Denmark controlled proceedings from the opening whistle and deservedly took the lead when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg converted a penalty in the 43rd minute.

Hojlund doubled the advantage four minutes after the restart with a brilliant volley before striking again seven minutes later. The striker skipped past Ruben Dias and unleashed a powerful effort from the edge of the box to leave the home crowd stunned.

Boos rang around the Estadio Municipal de Braga when Joachim Andersen headed home Denmark's fourth goal, and Bernardo Silva's late consolation strike did little to ease the frustration among Portuguese supporters.

"Every single Denmark player put in their best performance I've seen in a long time. Even the substitutes, which made for a fantastic overall display," said Morten Hjulmand.

"We scored some great goals and fully deserved to win."

Norway Beat Wales

Norway strengthened their position in the group with a 3-1 victory over Wales.

Antonio Nusa opened the scoring shortly before the hour mark with a low drive, before Andreas Schjelderup tapped home after excellent work from Erling Haaland.

Haaland then completed the scoring from the penalty spot two minutes from time.

Wales briefly threatened a comeback when David Brooks chipped home in the 79th minute, but the defeat confirmed they would finish bottom of the group and face the possibility of relegation to League B.

Northern Ireland Close In On Promotion

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland moved to within a point of promotion to League A with a 1-0 win over Ukraine in Group B2.

The victory was secured by Terry Devlin's first international goal, leaving Northern Ireland needing only a draw against Hungary on Tuesday to seal promotion.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

Spain's Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace