Nations League roundup: Haaland double downs Denmark, Felix sinks Wales, Greece stun Serbia
Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway's 3-2 win over Denmark as Portugal, Greece and Kosovo also won on the Nations League's first night.
The Netherlands' draw with Germany was not the only big match on the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League's opening night. Here is what Malaysian fans missed while they slept.
Norway 3-2 Denmark: Haaland settles a Scandinavian thriller
Erling Haaland picked up where he left off at the World Cup, where beIN Sports reports he scored seven goals in five matches. He scored twice as Norway beat Denmark 3-2 at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo in Group A4.
Oscar Bobb gave the hosts the lead with a curling finish, and Haaland soon made it 2-0. Denmark fought back. Mikkel Damsgaard scored from a free-kick before half-time and Rasmus Hojlund equalised around the hour mark. Haaland then scored the winner with about 15 minutes left, firing into the top corner from inside the box, according to Manchester City's official website.
Norway finished with 10 men after David Moller Wolfe was sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time. They held on for the three points.
Portugal 1-0 Wales: VAR denies Ronaldo
Portugal started their Nations League title defence with a narrow win over Wales at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon. Joao Felix scored the only goal in the 22nd minute. His shot from outside the box deflected in off Wales captain Ben Davies.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a frustrating night. He had seven shots, three more than any other player, according to Sky Sports, and had a second-half goal ruled out for offside after a VAR review. He was substituted after 67 minutes. Portugal had 22 shots to Wales' five.
"It's a shot from outside the box which could go anywhere. Unfortunately, it took a deflection off me," Davies said.
Bruno Fernandes focused on the result. "We scored one, and we didn't concede. That's the big thing," he said.
Serbia 1-2 Greece: A late comeback in Belgrade
Greece came from behind to win in Belgrade and now top Group A2. Andrija Zivkovic gave Serbia the lead after four minutes. Greece hit the post through Konstantinos Karetsas and had a Vangelis Pavlidis goal ruled out for offside.
The pressure paid off in the 76th minute, when Christos Tzolis fired in after being set up by Pavlidis. Substitute Anastasios Douvikas then won it with a close-range header in stoppage time. Flashscore reported that it was Greece's first win of 2026 in any competition, and that Serbia have now gone eight years without a Nations League victory.
Kosovo 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Muriqi's late header
In League B, Kosovo made a winning start in their first-ever match in that tier. Vedat Muriqi scored in the 83rd minute at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina. He scored from close range in a crowded six-yard box after Ermal Krasniqi's shot came back off the crossbar. Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made several good saves, but Heimir Hallgrimsson's team lost their opening game.
Elsewhere, Austria beat Israel 3-1.
Coming up
Matchday 1 continues on Friday night European time, which is early Saturday morning in Malaysia. Italy host Belgium, and Türkiye face France in Zinedine Zidane's first match as France coach. England play Spain on Saturday. On Sunday, Norway host Portugal in what could be an early decider in Group A4, and Denmark face Wales.
Key takeaways
- Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway's 3-2 win over Denmark, but Norway finished with 10 men.
- Joao Felix's deflected strike beat Wales 1-0, and Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal disallowed by VAR.
- Greece came from behind to win 2-1 in Serbia with goals from Christos Tzolis and Anastasios Douvikas.
- Vedat Muriqi's 83rd-minute header gave Kosovo a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in League B.
- Italy vs Belgium and Türkiye vs France are on Friday night in Europe.
FAQ
Who was sent off in Norway vs Denmark? Norway's David Moller Wolfe was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Why was Cristiano Ronaldo's goal ruled out? A VAR review found him offside in the second half, so Portugal's win came only from Joao Felix's first-half goal.
When do Norway and Portugal meet? They meet on Sunday, 27 September, in Nations League A Group 4. Both teams won their opening games.
Sources: beIN Sports, Manchester City, Sky Sports, Flashscore, VAVEL, Bulinews, NBC Sports