Rasmus Hojlund scored twice in seven second-half minutes to turn a tight Nations League contest into a rout, as Denmark beat Portugal 4-1 at the Estadio Municipal de Braga on Saturday, 14 November 2026.
Denmark went into the break 1-0 up through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's 43rd-minute penalty. Then Hojlund took over. In the 50th minute he finished off a move involving Mikkel Damsgaard to double the lead, and in the 57th he struck again — this time with Hojbjerg involved in the build-up — to make it 3-0 and end the match as a contest.
The brace was the decisive burst of the game. Portugal, playing their first match since Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football, had no answer once the Manchester United striker found his range, and Joachim Andersen's 75th-minute header only underlined how completely Denmark had taken control by then.
The timing of the goals mattered as much as the finishing. Hojlund's first came five minutes after the restart, before Portugal had settled into the second half, and his second arrived just seven minutes later — turning a 1-0 half-time lead into a 3-0 cushion before the hour mark. From there Denmark could manage the game, and Andersen's header in the 75th minute only confirmed what the previous 25 minutes had already shown.
It was also a statement about where Denmark's attack now sits. With Hojbjerg pulling the strings from midfield — the captain scored the penalty and had a hand in Hojlund's second goal — and Hojlund finishing clinically in front of goal, Denmark looked a complete side rather than a team relying on one moment. Portugal, by contrast, managed only Silva's stoppage-time consolation despite chasing the game for the final half-hour.
Hojlund's goals also settled a score. Denmark had lost 4-2 to Portugal in Copenhagen on 1 October 2026, and the return fixture in Braga was billed as a test of whether the Danes could live with the group leaders. Hojlund's seven-minute double answered that question emphatically.
The striker's night mattered beyond the scoreline. The win lifted Denmark to nine points and second place in League A Group 4, and a draw at home to Norway on Tuesday will be enough to send them into the Nations League quarter-finals. Portugal, on 12 points, are already through to the last eight.
For Hojlund, it was a reminder of his value on the biggest stage — two finishes, seven minutes apart, that changed a cagey game into one of Denmark's most famous away wins in recent years. Portugal's only goal, a stoppage-time consolation from Bernardo Silva, came long after the contest had been decided.
Rasmus Hojlund vs Portugal: At a Glance
| Player | Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark, Manchester United striker) |
| Goals | 50th minute, 57th minute — a seven-minute brace |
| Match | Portugal 1-4 Denmark, UEFA Nations League League A Group 4, Matchday 5 |
| Date | Saturday, 14 November 2026 |
| Venue | Estadio Municipal de Braga, Braga |
| Result for Denmark | Denmark move to 2nd in Group A4 on 9 points; a draw vs Norway on Tuesday seals a quarter-final place |