Erling Haaland continued his record-breaking exploits in a Norway shirt, but his goal could not prevent his side from falling to a 2–1 defeat against Portugal at Ullevaal Stadion on Matchday 2 of League A Group 4 in the UEFA Nations League.
Norway began the match on the front foot and squandered several early chances before Portugal struck in the 17th minute. A swift counter-attack culminated with João Félix, who unleashed a precise low drive to put the visitors ahead.
Haaland missed four opportunities during the first half, but drew Norway level in the 51st minute by capitalizing on a mix-up involving goalkeeper Diogo Costa. The Manchester City striker’s effort elevated his international tally to 65 goals in 57 caps.
The parity proved short-lived, lasting just three minutes. Goalkeeper Örjan Nyland misdirected a pass straight to Gonçalo Ramos, who gathered the ball and calmly chipped it over the stranded keeper. Nyland committed another error shortly after when rushing out to claim a long ball, though Ramos’ subsequent second goal was ruled out for offside.
Nyland had previously faced scrutiny during Norway’s 3–2 win over Denmark for his handling of a free-kick that led to Denmark’s opening goal. His blunders against Portugal ultimately condemned Norway to their first home defeat since 2024.
Cristiano Ronaldo played no part in the encounter, as Portugal’s captain remained an unused substitute on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Manager Jorge Jesus selected Ramos as the focal point in attack, supported by João Félix and Pedro Neto.
With his latest goal, Haaland’s international scoring rate reached 1.14 goals per game, establishing him as the most prolific scorer in European national team history among players with at least 50 international caps—surpassing Gerd Müller and Sándor Kocsis. The strike also marked his third goal across the opening two matchdays of the competition.
Portugal top the group with 6 points, followed by Denmark in second with 3 points, leading third-placed Norway on goal difference, while Wales remain bottom with zero points. Portugal will face Denmark on October 1 before hosting Norway on October 4, whereas Norway travel to face Wales prior to their return fixture against Portugal.
