Denmark and Norway secure victories in Nations League fifth round matches

Denmark defeated Portugal 4-1 in Braga and Norway defeated Wales 3-1 in Oslo during the fifth round of the Nations League matches held on November 14-15, 2026. These results contributed to significant shifts in group standings across the tournament.

Denmark dominates Portugal in Braga

Denmark secured a decisive 4-1 victory over Portugal in Braga. The match featured a penalty goal scored by Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg in the 43rd minute after a handball by Ruben Dias. Denmark forward Rasmus Højlund contributed two goals to the victory in the 49th and 57th minutes. Joachim Andersen added a header in the 75th minute to complete the scoreline. Bernardo Silva scored a goal for Portugal in the 90+3 minute.

This match marked the first loss for Portugal in the current edition of the tournament. It was also the first match for the Portuguese national team following the international retirement of Cristiano Ronaldo, who announced his retirement on November 5, 2026. Despite the loss, Portugal maintains first place in Group 4 with 12 points. Denmark remains in second place in Group 4 with 9 points.

Norway and Sweden secure key wins

Norway defeated Wales 3-1 in Oslo to move into third place in Group 4 with 6 points. The scoring for Norway was provided by Antonio Nusa, Andreas Schjelderup, and Erling Haaland, who scored via a penalty. David Brooks scored the only goal for Wales.

Sweden secured qualification for League A following a 3-2 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Daniel Svensson scored for Sweden in the 5th minute, while Viktor Gyökeres scored two goals from two penalties. Armin Gigović and Sead Kolašinac scored the goals for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The win brought Sweden to a total of 13 points, creating a 5 point difference between Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Other Nations League results and standings

In other matches, Hungary defeated Georgia 2-0, and Austria defeated Ireland 1-0. The victory for Austria, which brings their total to 11 points, prevents Kosovo from catching them in the standings. Kosovo currently holds 6 points and sits in second place in Group 3. Romania defeated Poland 2-1, and Kosovo and Israel played to a 0-0 draw.

Northern Ireland achieved a 1-0 victory over Ukraine. During the match, a goal by Jamie Donelly was disallowed by VAR due to offside. Ethan Galbraith assisted Terry Devlin for the Northern Ireland goal. The match featured Anatoliy Trubin as the goalkeeper for Ukraine.

Glossary

• Nations League — The Nations League is an annual men's international volleyball tournament. It is organized by the FIVB.
• Oslo — Oslo is the Norwegian capital city. It provides a large Norway spruce to various cities for their central squares.
• Group 4 — Group 4 is a group within the Nations League tournament. It contains teams such as Portugal, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
• Group 3 — Group 3 is a group within the Nations League tournament. It includes teams such as Kosovo and Romania.
• VAR — VAR is a system used in matches to disallow goals, such as when a goal is ruled offside.