Portugal are returning home with their pockets full after a four-day tour of northern Europe, having plundered Copenhagen following their triumph in Oslo. They certainly had to struggle, and at times they were even bleeding, but despite everything, they demonstrated efficient football in northern Europe and maintained their 100% record after three rounds of the Nations League group stage. More importantly, they showed that they can function perfectly well without their greatest legend, putting four goals past Denmark in a 4-2 victory (2-1). The build-up to the match at Parken was dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to leave the Portugal camp, apparently offended after spending the entire match against Denmark on the bench — his first competitive international appearance as a substitute since Euro 2008.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="in" dir="ltr">Joao Cancelo goal in Denmark vs Portugal UEFA Nations League game. <a href="https://t.co/fp03MdawpB">pic.twitter.com/fp03MdawpB</a></p>— Daily Foot Vibes (@dailyfootvibes) <a href="https://x.com/dailyfootvibes/status/2105898619870282165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##His departure consequently opened the door for Goncalo Ramos to lead the line, and the striker certainly made the most of the opportunity, once again confirming his credentials as Portugal's number nine. Milan's most expensive signing in history enjoyed himself alongside Bruno Fernandes at a stadium that had been an almost impregnable fortress for nearly two years. Since Spain beat Denmark there in October 2024, the Danes had gone six consecutive competitive matches without defeat at Parken, conceding just three goals in that period — one fewer than Portugal managed to put past them in a 90-plus minutes game. Portugal, incidentally, was the same team against whom Denmark had begun that unbeaten run. The reigning Nations League champions had lost by a narrow margin at the same venue a year and a half ago, with a very similar line-up.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇵🇹🌟 | Gonçalo Ramos vs Denmark:<br><br>⚽️ 1 GOAL<br>🅰️ 1 ASSIST<br>⏱️ 81 minutes<br>🎯 18/19 passes (95%)<br>🔑 3 chances created<br>🎁 1 big chance created<br>🥅 6 shots<br>📈 1.19 xG<br>📦 6 touches in the opposition box<br>⭐️ 8.7 rating<br><br>Another HUGE performance for Portugal from the <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/ACMilan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ACMilan</a> striker. 2 G/A… <a href="https://t.co/ymUph6h7jP">pic.twitter.com/ymUph6h7jP</a></p>— Milan Xtra (@MilanXtra) <a href="https://x.com/MilanXtra/status/2105764535470633035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##After scoring against Denmark in the previous encounter, Ramos found the net again tonight and also provided an assist. Beyond his numbers, though, Milan's striker impressed with the way he contributed to the build-up and combined with his teammates, something that has been missing from Ronaldo's game for some time. In the 13th minute, he played a one-two with Joao Cancelo to set up the full-back's goal — something Cristiano had not managed in a Portugal shirt for almost two years. Then, midway through the first half, Ramos produced a sublime backheel to lay the ball off for Bruno Fernandes before finishing the same move with a toe-poked shot, just like in five-a-side football, after a magnificent pass from his captain.Ramos could even have completed his hat-trick towards the end of the first half and in the opening stages of the second. However, when Rafael Leao — who immediately inherited Ronaldo's number seven shirt — squared the ball to him in the six-yard box, Mads Hermansen produced a handball-style save to deny him. Shortly after the restart, Ramos got on the end of another magical pass from Fernandes, but his falling volley flew over the entire goal.##LINKED_NEWS_69514##Denmark were not mere spectators as Bruno and Ramos enjoyed themselves at Parken. In fact, Mikkel Damsgaard helped the hosts get back on their feet on both occasions after they conceded. If Portugal found Ronaldo's successor up front in Ramos, Brentford midfielder Damsgaard once again emerged as Denmark's natural heir to Christian Eriksen. He restored parity with a cheeky finish in the 23rd minute, then produced a perfectly timed pass half an hour later to put Rasmus Hojlund through on goal and allow the Napoli striker to level the score once more at 2-2. However, the Napoli centre-forward's celebration, during which he imitated Ronaldo's famous “SIU” jump, seemed to awaken a defiant spirit in the Portugal players, who regained the lead for the third time soon afterwards. Fernandes registered his second assist of the match, picking out Vitinha at the far post with one of his trademark crosses. The midfielder duly scored his first goal in Portugal colours.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gonçalo Ramos after the match:<br><br>“Scoring for Portugal is always special, but tonight I wanted to dedicate that goal to Cristiano. He’s my idol, my teammate and, for me, the greatest player ever.<br><br>Cristiano has given so much to this national team and to Portuguese football. We all… <a href="https://t.co/sWVNdR7ZWh">pic.twitter.com/sWVNdR7ZWh</a></p>— kwakuUTD (@kwaku_UTD) <a href="https://x.com/kwaku_UTD/status/2105775514459717755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##This time, Denmark had no response. Instead, Portugal delivered another, fatal blow towards the end of the match. Two substitutes combined as Diogo Dalot pulled the ball back into the six-yard box for Joao Felix, who smashed it into the net from the penalty spot. After a dream season at Al Nassr, Felix has also emerged during this international break as a potential leader for Portugal in the post-Ronaldo era.UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE – DIVISION AThursdayDenmark – Portugal 2-4 (1-2)/Damsgaard 23, Hojlund 53 – Cancelo 13, Ramos 25, Vitinha 67, Felix 87/Germany – Serbia 2-0 (1-0)/Bischof 39, Wirtz 61/Greece – Netherlands 2-2 (2-0)/Ioannidis 23, Masouras 45+2 – Van Dijk 59, Reijnders 89/Wales – Norway 2-1 (1-1)/James 38, Williams 48 – Bobb 11/Friday21.45: (1.53) Belgium (4.30) Turkey (6.00)21.45: (1.45) France (4.50) Italy (7.00)##SOFASCORE_<iframe id="sofa-standings-embed-64388-89945" src="https://widgets.sofascore.com/embed/tournament/64388/season/89945/standings?widgetTitle=UEFA+Nations+League+26%2F27%2C+League+A%2C+Group+4&showCompetitionLogo=true&widgetTheme=light" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%!important; height:483px!important;max-width:768px!important;"></iframe><div style="font-size:12px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;text-align:left"> Standings provided by <a target="_blank" href="https://sofascore.com/">Sofascore</a> </div>##
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