Portugal Face Denmark in First Match After Cristiano Ronaldo’s International Retirement

Portugal hosted Denmark in Braga on Saturday, November 14, in the Nations League, in their first match after Cristiano Ronaldo retired from international football, according to the source. Portugal had secured a place in the quarter-finals after four wins in Group A4 and needed at least a draw to finish top of the group.

Denmark went into the match needing a win and hoping Wales would not beat Norway to ensure their path to the quarter-finals continued. The teams’ meeting in October had ended in a 4-2 win for Portugal; João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix scored for Portugal, while Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund scored Denmark’s goals.

The source says that Ronaldo, Portugal’s all-time leading scorer, announced his retirement from international football in a video posted on social media in the week before the match, after a 23-year association with the national team. His absence raises the question of how Portugal will continue scoring goals and maintain their momentum in a new era.