Norway vs Portugal: Haaland’s brace puts Nations League group lead on the line
Haaland’s two goals lifted Norway above Portugal on total goals scored; both teams are expected to make changes to their lineups.
Norway hosts Portugal at Ullevaal Stadion on Sunday with first place in UEFA Nations League League A, Group 4 at stake. Both sides won their opening fixtures, but Norway leads on total goals scored after coming from behind to beat Denmark 3-2 on Thursday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. local time (19:45 CEST / 6:45 p.m. BST / 1:45 p.m. EDT). UEFA has appointed French referee François Letexier to officiate.
Erling Haaland scored twice against Denmark after Norway conceded two goals inside the opening 18 minutes. The brace took the forward to 64 goals in 56 senior appearances for Norway. Sunday’s match is also Norway’s first home fixture in League A since the tournament began.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken must change his defence because David Møller Wolfe is suspended after receiving a red card against Denmark. Torbjørn Lysaker Heggem and Fredrik Aursnes are in line for expanded defensive assignments alongside center back Kristoffer Ajer and right back Julian Ryerson, with veteran Ørjan Nyland expected to start in goal.
Captain Martin Ødegaard is set to play in central midfield with Sander Berge and Patrick Berg. Oscar Bobb is positioned to retain his place on the wing, while Andreas Schjelderup is under consideration to start on the opposite side instead of Antonio Nusa, supporting Haaland up front.
Portugal, second in the group on three points, arrives after a 1-0 home win over Wales in Lisbon on Thursday. João Félix scored the only goal in the first half, giving newly appointed head coach Jorge Jesus a victory in his first competitive fixture since succeeding Roberto Martínez.
Jesus is expected to keep most of that starting lineup, with João Neves slated to replace Rúben Neves in central midfield alongside Vitinha and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has an international-record 146 career goals, is projected to lead the attack, flanked by Félix and Pedro Neto.
Portugal’s expected back line has João Cancelo at right back, Nuno Mendes at left back and Renato Veiga alongside Manchester City center back Rúben Dias, in front of goalkeeper Diogo Costa. The match will be the countries’ 12th senior international meeting: Portugal has eight wins, two draws and one loss from the previous 11.
Norway’s only win over Portugal came at Ullevaal Stadion on September 7, 2010. Erik Huseklepp scored in a 1-0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying victory. Norway earned promotion to the top tier for the current cycle and has a Nations League record of 15 wins, four draws and six losses in 25 matches across all tiers.
Norway entered the Nations League schedule after reaching the quarter-finals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Portugal, the most decorated nation in Nations League history, has won the competition twice: the inaugural tournament on home soil in 2019 and the 2024–25 finals. At the World Cup earlier this year, Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16 by eventual champion Spain.
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Amazon Prime Video, with coverage beginning ahead of the 7:45 p.m. BST kickoff. The federations’ official team sheets and confirmed starting lineups will be registered with UEFA approximately 60 to 75 minutes before the match.
