Portugal’s Ronaldo farewell overshadowed as Denmark expose four-goal collapse

Cristiano Ronaldo’s planned tribute became a night of anger in Braga as Portugal were beaten 4-1 by Denmark in the Nations League, turning an occasion intended to celebrate the forward’s international career into a heavy defeat for Jorge Jesus’ side.

Portugal’s players wore shirts bearing Ronaldo’s name and number seven before kick-off, while supporters raised a banner reading “Thank you, captain”. However, the warm atmosphere quickly disappeared as Denmark established control and extended their lead, with whistles and frustration replacing the celebrations in the stands.

The reaction across the international media focused on the contrast between the tribute and Portugal’s performance.

Spanish newspaper AS used the headline “Cristiano did not deserve this”, arguing that the subdued recognition from the players and supporters, followed by the emphatic defeat, was not fitting for a player who had spent 23 years serving his country.

Marca suggested Denmark had delivered the real tribute by dominating the match and scoring four times on a night that had been expected to centre on Ronaldo’s farewell. The paper described the result as a disastrous beginning to the post-Cristiano era.

Catalan publication Sport called the result “Portugal’s humiliation at Cristiano’s tribute”, highlighting the way Denmark punished Portugal’s mistakes while the home side collapsed despite the symbolism surrounding the occasion.

In Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport focused on Portugal’s shortcomings without Ronaldo, describing it as a “bad image of Portugal without CR7: devilish Hojlund and Denmark score four”. The report also noted that Norway still retained a chance in the group.

French newspaper L’Equipe summarised the result with the headline “A new era… a heavy defeat”, saying Portugal’s first test after Ronaldo’s departure had ended in a clear collapse rather than providing an encouraging start for a new generation.

The Portuguese press was similarly critical. O Jogo described the match as a “nightmare”, while A Bola asked: “What happened, Portugal?” before labelling the loss in Braga a “humiliation”. Publico used a pointed comparison: “Ronaldo did not attend the tribute, and neither did Portugal,” referring both to the player’s absence and the team’s failure to perform in front of their home crowd.

In Britain, BBC Sport described the scoreline as a “humiliation for Portugal”. The Guardian concentrated on Denmark’s clear superiority, while talkSPORT called it an “unprecedented insult” and reported that it was Portugal’s biggest official defeat at home.

The response extended to social media, where supporters of Ronaldo circulated the slogan “Never disrespect Cristiano Ronaldo”. Other posts declared: “Without Ronaldo, there is no party,” suggesting his absence had left an obvious void during the tribute.

Brazilian website UOL also highlighted the sharp contrast between the pre-match ceremony and the defeat. It reported Jorge Jesus’ refusal to blame Ronaldo’s absence for the result, although the Portugal manager acknowledged the defensive problems his team had suffered.