Is Cristiano Ronaldo slamming the door? Portugal doesn’t bat an eye: a four-goal rout of Denmark, with Gonçalo Ramos also scoring
Portugal secured a crucial 4-2 victory over Denmark at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Matchday 3 of the 2026-2027 Nations League in Group 4 of League A. It was a convincing performance by the Portuguese, who can now—at least for the moment—put the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from training camp behind them, following disagreements with head coach Jorge Jesus.
Denmark, for its part, traded blows with Portugal until the start of the second half. After Joao Cancelo opened the scoring in the 13th minute, Denmark equalized for the first time through Damsgaard in the 23rd minute. Milan’s Gonçalo Ramos put Portugal back in front in the 25th minute, but Naples’ Hojlund equalized again in the 53rd minute. It wasn’t until the final half-hour that Jesus’s team managed to take definitive control of the match, with goals by Vitinha in the 67th minute and Joao Felix in the 87th minute sealing the victory.
The victory comes at a particularly delicate time for the Portuguese national team, still reeling from Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational departure. The 41-year-old star had walked out of training camp after sitting on the bench for 90 minutes against Norway, and the head coach’s subsequent statements (“I’m the coach; I told the player he wouldn’t play. No player will ever make me change my mind. Not him, nor anyone else in the world of soccer”) had convinced him to walk out, slamming the door behind him.
The rift between CR7 and the national team, incidentally, now appears to be definitive, according to reports in the Portuguese press. The national team captain, who has 234 appearances and 146 goals for Portugal, also faces a suspension of one to six months under federation regulations. A bitter ending for someone who contributed to the 2016 European Championship victory and two Nations League titles.
Despite the absence of their longtime captain, the Portuguese have shown they can count on solid alternatives. Gonçalo Ramos, who has also been a standout at AC Milan—where Pulisic recently praised his qualities (“Playing with Gonçalo is fantastic; he helps the team a lot”)—confirmed his value on the national team. João Félix also stepped up, sealing the match with the goal that made it 4-2.
The victory solidifies Portugal’s lead in Group 4, bringing the team to nine points after three matchdays. This result demonstrates that the Portuguese national team, despite all the controversy, is managing to stay focused on the field, setting aside off-field distractions to aim for qualification to the tournament’s knockout stage.
