Braga, Nov 15 (V7N)- Portugal suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Denmark in their first match since Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football, as Rasmus Højlund scored twice in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday (November 14).

The defeat at home came as a major disappointment for Portuguese supporters, who had organised special tributes in Braga to bid farewell to their legendary captain.

In another match in the same group, Norway defeated Wales 3-1 in Oslo. Antonio Nusa and Andreas Schjelderup scored for Norway, while Erling Haaland sealed the victory with a late penalty.

Despite the defeat, Portugal remain top of the group with 12 points. Denmark are second with nine points, followed by Norway with six and Wales with three. One round of league-stage matches remains.

Portugal will face Wales on Tuesday, while Denmark will host Norway on the same day.

Denmark run riot in Braga

Before kick-off, a packed stadium in Braga paid tribute to Ronaldo. Portugal's players wore special outfits bearing the name and number seven of their former captain during the national anthem.

Supporters displayed banners reading "Obrigado, Capitão" (Thank you, Captain), alongside pictures of Ronaldo lifting the European Championship and Nations League trophies.

Ronaldo, 41, announced his retirement from international football on November 5 following a public disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus.

On the pitch, Portugal enjoyed much of the possession during a rain-soaked first half but struggled to convert their dominance into goals.

Denmark took the lead shortly before half-time through captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who converted a penalty. Earlier, a header by Højlund had been ruled out following a foul by Joachim Andersen, while another attempt was dealt with by Portugal's Rúben Dias. After reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, the referee awarded Denmark a penalty.

Højlund doubled Denmark's advantage five minutes into the second half, volleying home a cross from the right after getting behind the Portuguese defence.

The striker scored again seven minutes later, beating Renato Veiga during a counterattack before firing a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Diogo Costa from outside the penalty area.

Andersen made it 4-0 in the 75th minute, heading home a free kick delivered by Mathias Jensen from the right.

Portugal managed a consolation goal in the third minute of added time when Bernardo Silva headed the ball into the net from close range after the goalkeeper had parried an initial effort.

After the match, Portugal midfielder João Palhinha told broadcaster Sport TV: "We basically got everything wrong. It's hard to explain."

"It was an unfortunate night for us. We made the match much easier for our opponents. We have another match on Tuesday. In the meantime, we will have time to think about what happened today. But I have no doubt that we will turn around and go to Wales and secure top spot in the group," he added.

Norway defeat Wales 3-1

Norway stepped up their attacking efforts after a relatively quiet first half at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.

They broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when a corner was not properly cleared by the Welsh defence, allowing Antonio Nusa to score with a half-volley from outside the penalty area.

Andreas Schjelderup doubled Norway's lead shortly after coming on as a substitute. Two minutes into his appearance, he combined with Haaland before moving into the box and finishing at the far post.

Wales reduced the deficit in the 79th minute through David Brooks, who collected a through ball and lifted his finish over the goalkeeper.

However, Norway restored their two-goal advantage late in the match. Schjelderup was fouled by Connor Roberts inside the penalty area, and Haaland converted the resulting spot-kick in the 88th minute to secure a 3-1 victory.

END/SMA/AJ