Erling Haaland produced another milestone moment for Norway by scoring his 65th international goal, but Portugal apparently decided that history would have to wait for another day. Portugal defeated Norway 2–1 in Oslo on September 27 to make it two wins from two in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, leaving Haaland with a goal, a record and a defeat to take home. João Félix opened the scoring before Haaland levelled early in the second half, only for Gonçalo Ramos to restore Portugal’s lead.
Erling Haaland Scores 65th Goal, But Portugal Refuses to Respect the Celebration
Erling Haaland’s 65th international goal was hardly a routine statistic. The Manchester City striker had already scored twice in Norway’s opening 3–2 victory over Denmark, and his latest strike took his Nations League tally to 22, extending his status as the competition’s all-time leading scorer. In other words, Haaland continues to collect records at a speed that may soon require UEFA to create a separate cupboard for them.
The goal itself came early in the second half when Haaland tapped in from close range after Portugal had taken the lead through João Félix. For a brief moment, Norway had the perfect script: their superstar scores again, the crowd celebrates and another Haaland statistic is born. Unfortunately for the hosts, Portugal had apparently read a different script.
Portugal Beat Erling Haaland’s Norway Despite the Striker Doing His Job Again
Portugal arrived in Oslo already carrying three points from their opening 1–0 victory over Wales, with Félix having scored the winner in that match. The forward repeated the trick against Norway, scoring his second goal in as many Nations League games before Gonçalo Ramos delivered the decisive blow. Portugal therefore left Norway with six points from six.
For Norway, the defeat was an especially awkward reminder that having Haaland on the scoresheet does not automatically mean having Haaland on the winning side. The striker has already shown devastating form in this Nations League campaign, while Portugal demonstrated that a team can survive another Haaland goal and still walk away smiling. Football, as Norway discovered, has apparently refused to sign an agreement guaranteeing the striker’s goals a victory.
The final whistle therefore left Haaland celebrating a personal landmark while Portugal celebrated something rather more useful on the night: another three points. With the Nations League campaign only two matches old, Haaland’s scoring record will remain one of the competition’s major storylines, while Portugal’s perfect start has created another chapter worth watching. OGM News FC will continue following the drama — because if Haaland keeps scoring and Portugal keeps winning, somebody’s statistics department is going to need overtime.
