Norway Face Portugal in Nations League Clash
Listen to the story
Norway hosted Portugal on 27 September 2026 in a UEFA Nations League A match. The game was part of Group 4's second matchday of the 2026/2027 season.
Portugal's coach, Jesus, made a notable decision before the game. He chose to leave star player Cristiano Ronaldo out of the starting lineup, placing him on the substitutes' bench instead.
After the decision drew attention, Jesus gave an explanation for why Ronaldo did not begin the match as a starter. Fans and journalists were keen to understand his reasoning.
The Nations League is UEFA's official competition for national teams, replacing many friendly matches with more meaningful games. Teams are divided into divisions and groups based on their ranking.
Norway and Portugal both compete in Group 4 of League A, the top division. This match was the second of several group games the teams will play this season.
The result and further details of the match were followed live by fans, as the game formed part of the ongoing 2026/2027 Nations League campaign.
Vocabulary5 words
- UEFA Nations League
- a football competition for European national teams
- coach
- the person who leads and picks the team
- starting lineup
- the players chosen to begin the match
- friendly matches
- games that do not count in a competition
- divisions
- levels or groups in a competition, based on strength
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Quiz
Answer key
1. UEFA Nations League 2. He started him on the bench 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Norway hosted Portugal on 27 September 2026 in a _____ A match. The game was part of Group 4's second matchday of the 2026/2027 _____.
Portugal's coach, Jesus, made a notable decision before the game. He chose to leave star player Cristiano Ronaldo out of the _____, placing him on the substitutes' _____ instead.
After the decision drew attention, Jesus gave an _____ for why Ronaldo did not begin the match as a starter. Fans and journalists were keen to understand his reasoning.
The Nations League is UEFA's official competition for national teams, replacing many _____ with more meaningful games. Teams are divided into _____ and groups based on their ranking.
Norway and Portugal both compete in Group 4 of League A, the top _____. This match was the second of several group games the teams will play this _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think coaches sometimes leave star players on the bench?
- Have you ever watched a Nations League match? What did you think of it?
- Do you think rotating players helps or hurts a team's performance?
- How important is it for fans to understand a coach's decisions?
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