Cristiano Ronaldo scores after missing penalty to help Portugal beat Denmark: Highlights and goals

Portugal defeats Denmark! With a 5-2 victory in the second leg and a 5-3 aggregate score, Portugal advances to the next round of the Nations League after a dramatic extra-time battle. Cristiano Ronaldo and his team move forward, keeping their championship hopes alive!

They seal the match with a brilliant play involving Trincão, Diogo Jota, and Gonçalo Ramos, who finishes the move to put Portugal 5-3 ahead. This should secure their spot in the next round!

The Danish side has had several opportunities to score, but they’ve wasted corners and short free kicks, failing to break through. Portugal’s defense remains solid, keeping their lead intact as time runs out!

The second half of extra time is underway, and Denmark is throwing everything forward in search of an equalizer. Portugal holds on as the tension builds!

Portugal still holds the lead, 4-3, as they head into the final 15 minutes. Denmark will need to push hard if they want to force a dramatic finish!

Diogo Jota came close to finishing the match, but unfortunately, he was offside, and the goal does not count. The tension remains high in extra time!

Rúben Neves comes on to replace Vitinha, adding fresh legs to the midfield as Portugal looks to hold onto their lead in extra time.

The Danes are throwing everything forward in search of a goal, but for now, they waste a corner and remain behind on the scoreboard. Portugal holds on!

A great attacking sequence down the left flank ends with a rebound from Schmeichel, and Trincão is there to capitalize, giving Portugal the lead—for now! The score is 4-3, and Portugal is edging closer to victory!

After a thrilling match full of drama, Portugal wins 3-2, but the score is 3-3 on aggregate, thanks to the goal from the first leg. Extra time will now decide who advances!

Portugal makes a substitution, with Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the pitch and Gonçalo Ramos coming on. The change brings fresh legs into the attack as Portugal pushes for a crucial goal.

A great pass from Nuno Mendes finds Trincão in the middle of the box, and he fires a powerful shot to make it 3-2 for Portugal! It’s now heading to extra time as the match takes another dramatic turn!

Portugal is pressuring and attacking relentlessly, trying to score a goal that would keep them alive in this eliminatory series. The intensity is at its peak!

Incredible pressure from Denmark’s attacking line on Rúben Dias, forcing a mistake. Dorgu receives the pass and sends a perfect assis

t to Eriksen, who finishes to equalize the game! The score is now 2-2! What a thrilling match!

Cristiano Ronaldo equalizes the match! A powerful shot from Bruno Fernandes outside the box is saved, but Ronaldo pounces on the rebound and puts it in the back of the net! The score is now 2-2!

For Portugal, Diogo Jota comes on, replacing Rafael Leão. Meanwhile, for Denmark, Andreas Skov Olsen enters the field, with Jesper Lindström making way. Both teams are looking to freshen up their attacking options.

With this result, Portugal would be eliminated from the Nations League, as the aggregate score stands at 2-1 in favor of Denmark. The pressure is on for the Portuguese team to turn things around!

Denmark scores from a corner won by Eriksen. He takes the delivery, and Kristensen rises to connect with a powerful header, finding the back of the net! The score is now 2-1 in favor of Denmark.

They execute a quick counterattack, with Cristiano Ronaldo providing an assist to Conceição, whose shot is deflected wide. The resulting corner, however, is wasted by Portugal.

A poor lateral pass from Dalot leads to a shot from Hjulmand, which flies just wide of the goal. Close call for Portugal!

The protagonist are back on the field after a intense first half. (1-0)

In the first leg, with Denmark playing at home, they made the most of their home advantage. There was a missed penalty from Eriksen, but Højlund saved the day, scoring in the 78th minute to give Denmark a 1-0 lead. Now, with the own goal in this second leg, the series is tied 1-1. If the match ends in a draw, they will go to extra time to determine the winner.

Let’s remember the celebration from the first leg. What made Højlund’s action stand out was the fact that he did it against Cristiano Ronaldo. However, for the Portuguese captain, there were no hard feelings involved, showing respect and sportsmanship despite the competitive nature of the match.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Ronaldo emphasized there was no disrespect in Hojlund’s gesture and even seemed to appreciate the homage. He also warned at a potential response in the second leg.

“Hojlund doing my celebration is not a problem. I know it wasn’t out of disrespect,” Cristiano Ronaldo noted. “I understand that not only him, but in all sports, there are people who celebrate like me. I hope that tomorrow he’ll be the one to see me celebrate!”

After the first-leg loss, Cristiano addressed the setback with a candid statement, reinforcing his leadership within the team. “I only want Portugal to win. If we win and I don’t play, I’ll sign it down and I’d tell the coach not to play me!,” stated Cristiano Ronaldo as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

The Portuguese star emphasized that his main priority is helping his team win, not just scoring goals.

We head into the break with a tense match between both teams. Portugal have the lead 1-0.

A brilliant through ball from Inácio to Leão sets up Cristiano Ronaldo, who finishes the play with a goal, but it’s ruled offside. Close, but no goal for Portugal!

Denmark tries to respond after the misfortune of the own goal, but they are struggling to find clarity in their attacks and haven’t been able to create a real threat to Portugal’s defense.

Portugal capitalizes on a corner! Bernardo Silva delivers a cross, aiming for Cristiano Ronaldo, but Ronaldo fails to convert. However, Joachim Andersen of Denmark accidentally scores an own goal, giving Portugal the lead!

Portugal creates a clear chance as Conceição makes a great individual play, cutting inside and laying the ball back to Vitinha, who fires a shot—but it goes over the crossbar!

Portugal started the first half dominating possession, but in the last 10 minutes, it’s Denmark who has created the clearest chances. Portugal holds 58% possession, while Denmark has 42%, but the momentum is shifting toward the Danes.

They win a free kick near the opponent’s box, drawn by a foul from Bernardo Silva. However, they waste the opportunity as Vestergaard commits an attacking foul on Inácio, ending the play.

They must be careful when building out from the back. Two consecutive poor passing sequences in midfield allow Denmark to press and recover the ball. Portugal is caught out of position, but Denmark fails to capitalize on the opportunities.

A perfect cross from Leão finds Cristiano Ronaldo, who connects brilliantly—but Schmeichel denies CR7 once more! The Danish keeper is having a standout performance.

Højlund makes his first run into Portugal’s area and wins a corner, but Eriksen’s delivery is poor—too tight. Denmark then commits a foul inside the box, allowing Portugal to regain possession.

After Cristiano's missed penalty, Portugal is taking control of the match, putting Denmark under heavy pressure. They are already creating clear goal-scoring opportunities as they push for an equalizer.

Cristiano Ronaldo fails to convert, missing the chance to equalize the series. Schmeichel guesses the left side and makes the save! Ronaldo took the penalty with a very short run-up, something unusual for him.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins a foul inside the box, and Portugal is awarded a penalty! The foul was committed by Denmark's Dorgu.

The 2025 UEFA Nations League quarterfinals is underway in Lisboa, Portugal!

The Estádio José Alvalade, located in Lisbon, Portugal, is the home of Sporting CP. It has a seating capacity of 50,095 spectators and was inaugurated in 2003 as part of Portugal’s preparations for UEFA Euro 2004.

Notable Events Hosted:

• UEFA Euro 2004 – Hosted five matches, including a semifinal.
• 2014 UEFA Champions League Final (Fan Zone) – Served as a key venue for fan events.
• 2020 UEFA Champions League Final Eight – Hosted several matches, including the semifinal between RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain.

It is one of Portugal’s most modern stadiums and regularly hosts international matches and major club competitions.

This is what it looks like during a match:

Here's Denmark lineup for the 2025 UEFA Nations League quarterfinals against Portugal!

Here's Portugal's starting eleven for the 2025 UEFA Nations League quarterfinals against Denmark!

Portugal will start with Diogo Costa, Dalot, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Francisco Conceição, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rafael Leão.

Coach: Roberto Martinez

Cristiano Ronaldo’s status as a starter was uncertain, not because of his performance in the first leg, but due to limited recovery time before the second match. However, Cristiano quickly dismissed concerns about his fitness, assuring he will be ready to face Denmark in the crucial second leg.

“I am certain that tomorrow I will be recovered because I know how to do it, I have the resources for that and I will be physically and mentally able to help Portugal move forward.”

Portugal vs Denmark will get underway at 3:45 PM ET (12:45 PM PT).

There will be many options to watch the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League showdown between Portugal and Denmark live in the USA: Fubo (free trial), FOX Soccer Plus and ViX.

UEFA has selected a group of referees entirely from Slovenia, with Slavko Vinčić as the main referee in charge of the match.

• Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleksandar Matkovic (SVN)
• Assistant referees: Andraž Kovačič (SVN) and Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)
• Fourth Official: David Šmajc (SVN)
• Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak (SVN)

Welcome to our live blog of the UEFA Nations League!

Portugal and Denmark go head-to-head with a spot in the UEFA Nations League semifinals on the line. This highly anticipated second leg comes after Denmark secured a 1-0 victory in the first matchup, putting pressure on Portugal to respond at home.

With both teams eager to advance, tonight’s contest promises to be a tightly contested battle. Stay with us for key insights, fun facts, and a full match preview before we bring you live, minute-by-minute coverage of all the action!