Ramos fires holders Portugal to 2-1 Nations League win in Norway

What the report says

Portugal continued its UEFA Nations League title defence with a 2-1 away win over Norway in Oslo on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. Goncalo Ramos started in place of Cristiano Ronaldo and scored the decisive goal, while Ronaldo was left on the bench for the first time in a Portugal Nations League match since September 2024. The result followed Portugal’s earlier 1-0 win over Wales in Group A4, giving the defending champions two victories from two.

Al Jazeera reported that Norway created several chances, with Erling Haaland involved in most of the danger, but Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa made key stops and Ruben Dias produced an important block. Portugal opened the scoring through Joao Felix in the 17th minute, before Haaland levelled early in the second half. Norway were then punished for an error by goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, whose misplaced pass allowed Ramos to chip Portugal back in front.

The win was presented as another positive step for Portugal under Jorge Jesus, who is managing squad minutes during an expanded international window. More broadly, the match showed how errors and finishing efficiency can shape tightly contested international games, especially between teams with strong attacking talent. Al Jazeera’s report suggested Portugal responded well to their recent World Cup disappointment and began their Nations League campaign in strong form.