Who: Portugal vs Norway
What: UEFA Nations League 2026-27, Group A4 match
The place: Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal
When: Sunday, October 4, at 8:45pm native time (18:45 GMT)
Find out how to observe: Al Jazeera Sport will deliver you all of the build-up and dwell updates from 15:45 GMT.
For the second time in per week, Portugal and Norway conflict within the UEFA Nations League. However this time, issues are usually not fairly the identical within the Selecao camp.
Beneficial Tales
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Sunday’s fixture in Porto will see the Nations League title holders play with out their talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, after the 41-year-old abruptly left their camp, elevating questions on his worldwide future.
Ronaldo’s dramatic exit and obvious rift with new coach Jorge Jesus have dominated headlines worldwide. Portuguese gamers have largely blocked the skin noise, nevertheless, sustaining an ideal document on the match the place they’re chasing a record-extending third crown.
Opponents Norway have received only one match, regardless of boasting a proficient facet that defied expectations with a historic quarterfinal finish at this 12 months’s FIFA World Cup.
Nevertheless, their striker Erling Haaland – certainly one of Europe’s most deadly gamers – poses sufficient hazard to place Portugal underneath stress forward of this weekend’s thrilling encounter.
What’s the UEFA Nations League?
The UEFA Nations League was based in 2018 to scale back the variety of meaningless friendlies and provides nations aggressive matches towards top-ranked groups.
On this competitors, international locations from throughout Europe take part in a league construction which options promotion and relegation.
What’s the newest information on Cristiano Ronaldo?
Ronaldo left the squad late on Wednesday, shortly after a information convention during which coach Jesus confirmed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could be neglected of his beginning line-up for a second consecutive Nations League sport.
The 41-year-old’s resolution to stroll out got here as a shock as he had been because of prepare along with his teammates on the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
Portugal’s main scorer with 146 targets had already spent the whole lot of final weekend’s 2-1 Nations League win in Norway on the bench, having captained the facet within the 1-0 dwelling victory over Wales final Thursday.
He appeared to point that the reasons behind Jesus’s decision ran deeper and hinted at a departure from the nationwide staff he has graced for greater than twenty years.
“In the end, I’ll inform the reality to all of the Portuguese individuals about my causes for leaving the nationwide staff, to which I’ve at all times been devoted,” Ronaldo mentioned in a cryptic Instagram publish, asserting his sudden exit from the camp.
Spanish sports activities each day Marca mentioned that Jesus and Portuguese federation president Pedro Proenca adopted Ronaldo to Copenhagen airport in an try to steer him to stick with the squad, earlier than the participant boarded his personal jet.
Jesus insisted earlier on Wednesday that there was no rift between them, though the 72-year-old, who was appointed in July, acknowledged that his captain was dissatisfied to stay on the bench towards Norway.
How have Portugal and Norway performed within the Nations League?
Portugal are on prime of Group A4 on 9 factors, with three wins out of three. They began their marketing campaign with a 1-0 dwelling win over Wales, earlier than including a 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo. Within the final match, they thrashed Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen.
Norway are second-bottom within the group, with solely three factors. They began their marketing campaign with a 3-2 dwelling win over fellow Scandinavians Denmark however suffered similar 2-1 defeats at dwelling to Portugal and to Wales in Cardiff.
When did Portugal and Norway final meet?
They met in matchday two of this 12 months’s Nations League, with Portugal beating Norway 2-1 in Oslo.
Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos scored for Portugal, whereas Haaland struck the comfort objective for Norway.
Portugal vs Norway: Head-to-head
- Matches: 12
- Portugal wins: 9
- Norway wins: 1
- Attracts: 2
Portugal vs Norway: Type information
(Final 5 video games, newest outcomes first)
Portugal: W-W-W-L-W
Norway: L-L-W-L-W
Who’re the highest gamers to observe?
Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos (Portugal): Al Nassr ahead Felix has emerged because the dependable scorer within the Portugal setup, discovering the web in every of the three video games this time period. In the meantime, Ramos, enjoying instead of Ronaldo, has made up for CR7’s absence with targets within the final two matches.
Erling Haaland and Oscar Bobb (Norway): All of Norway’s targets within the ongoing competitors have come by means of Haaland (three) and Bobb (two). Whereas their partnership proved profitable within the opening match, their targets weren’t sufficient within the following matches, because the Norwegians suffered back-to-back defeats. Norwegians will demand higher from Haaland, particularly after the Manchester Metropolis talisman’s unimaginable begin to the membership season that options seven targets in as many video games.
Workforce information and predicted lineups
Portugal
Winger Francisco Conceicao is uncertain for the sport because of a thigh damage.
Possible Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Ruben Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao; Goncalo Ramos
Norway
Wing-back Julian Ryerson is uncertain with a muscle damage, whereas centre-back Torbjorn Heggem is suspended.
Possible Norway XI: Orjan Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe; Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, Patrick Berg; Oscar Bobb, Erling Haaland, Antonio Nusa
Portugal vs Norway: TV channel, livestreaming
- Portugal
- Norway
- United Kingdom: ITV1
- United States: FOX Sports activities, FuboTV, ViX
- India: Sony Sports activities Community
- Center East and North Africa: beIN SPORTS
- South Africa: DStv Stream
You could find your regional broadcaster on UEFA’s official broadcaster listing.
