AFCON 2025
Portugal continue to thrive without Cristiano Ronaldo after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left camp following a breakdown in communication with coach Jorge Jesus. The Selecao beat Norway 2-1 in Porto on Sunday night, becoming the first team to reach the Nations League quarter-finals and extending their perfect start to four wins from four.
Norway scored the opener against the run of play. Kristoffer Ajer controlled Martin Ødegaard’s free-kick on the edge of the box in the 36th minute and bent a stunning effort into the top corner. João Cancelo answered in similar style, rifling a 20-yard shot past the Norwegian goalkeeper to level the game two minutes later.
Gonçalo Ramos decided it in the 79th minute. Vitinha lofted a pass forward, João Félix reached it and set up the AC Milan striker, who tucked the ball home from close range. Ramos has now scored in three consecutive games.
Portugal finished the game with 10 men. Francisco Conceição collected two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent after an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty, and the referee sent him off in the 86th minute. Portugal held on regardless, while Erling Haaland failed to score for the second game running.
The win capped a turbulent week for the Portuguese camp. Ronaldo, 41, walked out of the squad ahead of the Denmark game after learning he would not start, and he has not played since the opening win over Wales. Portugal have beaten Denmark 4-2 and Norway twice in the days since.
Cancelo paid tribute to the absent captain after the game. “Cristiano is our captain, the best player Portugal has ever had,” he told RTP, but he stressed that the four victories matter most. The result guarantees Portugal a top-two finish in Group A4 with two matches to spare, and they will play in the quarter-finals in March 2027.
Elsewhere on Sunday night, the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 in Eindhoven on the day Virgil van Dijk won his 100th cap. Teun Koopmeiners put the hosts ahead with a free-kick, and 19-year-old Mihajlo Cvetkovic equalised for Serbia.
Substitute Joshua Zirkzee tapped in the winner in the 71st minute after Tijjani Reijnders laid off Crysencio Summerville’s cross, giving Xavi Hernández his second win in four games as coach.
In Thessaloniki, Greece held Germany to a 0-0 draw to remain unbeaten in Group A2. Jonathan Burkardt’s first-half goal for Germany was ruled out for a handball by Tom Bischof in the build-up. The result leaves Greece level on eight points with the Netherlands and gives Jürgen Klopp one win from his first four games in charge.
Denmark beat Wales 1-0, while Azerbaijan edged Lithuania 1-0 and Malta won by the same score against Andorra. Kosovo drew 1-1 with Austria, and the Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Israel.
