Portugal host Norway at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto on Sunday, with kick-off at 19:45 local time (20:45 CEST). The first meeting, in Oslo on 27 September, was shaped by the two players this preview follows: Erling Haaland scored for Norway, and Bruno Fernandes missed it.
Portugal lead Group A4 with nine points from three games, having beaten Wales 1-0, Norway 2-1 and Denmark 4-2. Denmark, Norway and Wales all have three. The top two go through to the quarter-finals, and Jorge Jesus said on Saturday that a win would leave Portugal practically qualified. Norway beat Denmark 3-2 in their opener, then lost to Portugal and went down 2-1 at Wales on Thursday.
What happened in Oslo
Portugal won 2-1 without Fernandes, whom Jesus had held back because of pain he brought from Manchester United, and with Cristiano Ronaldo an unused substitute. João Félix scored after 17 minutes. Haaland had been denied by Diogo Costa and by a block from his Manchester City team-mate Rúben Dias before he levelled shortly after half-time, finishing from close range after a Martin Ødegaard free-kick was parried out. Three minutes later Ørjan Nyland tried to pass out from the back and found Gonçalo Ramos, who chipped him for the winner.
Selvik in goal, and a thinner defence
Nyland will not face Portugal again. Ståle Solbakken has named Egil Selvik in goal and says the change was planned before the camp. Torbjørn Heggem is suspended after his red card at Wales, and Julian Ryerson has gone home with a rib injury. Solbakken is not calling in replacements, so his back four will look different from the one in Oslo.
Haaland remains the focus. Asked on Saturday whether he was physically ready, Solbakken would not say, and told reporters Haaland would judge that for himself in training. We have seen no report ruling him out. Ødegaard, who limped off in Oslo after a late challenge, returned at Wales on Thursday, though neither player's place in the team is confirmed.
Fernandes, captain without Ronaldo
Fernandes has been Portugal's captain since Ronaldo left the camp in Copenhagen on 30 September. In Copenhagen he created two of Portugal's goals, for Ramos and for Vitinha, in the 4-2 win. He gave Saturday's pre-match press conference alongside Jesus, and said he hoped Ronaldo would not make a decision in the heat of the moment about leaving the national team for good.
Whether he starts is open. Jesus said on Saturday that he would change some of the players carrying the heaviest workloads, because this is Portugal's fourth game in the window, but he did not name them. He thought Félix had recovered, pending another training session. Francisco Conceição was limited in training after missing the Denmark game.
Maurizio Mariani of Italy refereed Portugal's 2-1 win over Scotland in 2024/25 and takes charge again.
