On Saturday, Portugal seeks to secure the top spot in Group D in the first level of the European Nations League, in its first match in the era after its star, Cristiano Ronaldo, as it aspires to win over its guest, Denmark, which is seeking to enhance its chances of reaching the quarter-finals. Portugal has secured the first place in the group with the full mark since the fourth round, collecting 12 points, and is 3 points ahead of second Denmark, and 6 points ahead of Wales and Norway, whose chances of qualifying still exist, and they will try to maintain them when they meet Oslo in the penultimate fifth round. Ronaldo confirmed his retirement from international football earlier this month, drawing the curtain on a busy career during which he played 234 international matches, scored 146 goals (two world records), and led his country to three major titles: the European Cup (2016) and the European Nations League (2019 and 2025).
It seems that Portugal was ready to turn the page on Ronaldo, who missed its last three matches due to his not participating in the match against Norway (2 - 1) in the second round on September 27, as he left the training camp and missed the next two matches against Denmark (4 - 2) and Norway (2 - 1) on October 1 and 4 last year. However, three of Portugal's four victories in this year's edition came by a margin of only one goal, meaning that coach Jorge Jesus' squad had to make strenuous efforts to collect their 12 points. It is enough for Portugal to avoid defeat to secure the lead and maintain its unbeaten record in 14 official international matches at home, a series that began before the 2022 World Cup (13 wins, one draw).
As for Denmark, it started its campaign in the competition in a faltering manner by losing to Norway (2 - 3), but it regained its balance with two wins in its next three matches (compared to one defeat), thus becoming the most prominent pursuer of Portugal. However, Brian Reimer's side still lacks defensive stability; It conceded 7 goals in this group, despite its success in keeping a clean sheet in two matches. Denmark seeks to gain three points from this confrontation before playing a potentially decisive match against Norway next Tuesday in the final sixth round, noting that the risk of relegation to the second level still exists.
Portugal won 5 of the last 6 matches against Denmark (against one defeat), including a 4-2 win in Copenhagen in October. Portugal is missing the services of Joao Cancelo and Francisco Conceicao due to suspension, and Tomas Araujo, Nuno Tavares and Rafael Leao due to injury, while Barcelona defenseman Andreas Christensen is absent from the Denmark squad, because he only recently returned to participate in competitions with his Spanish club after recovering from injury.
A fateful summit between Wales and Norway
Given that they are tied on 3 points in last place, the confrontation between Norway and Wales may play a decisive role in determining the fate of each of them in the competition. Norway's first participation in the first level was very difficult; After winning the opening match against Denmark, it suffered three consecutive defeats, which made it enter the fourth round in last place. These three defeats are Norway's worst total in a single edition of the European Nations League. If it suffers another defeat, coinciding with Denmark achieving a positive result (a win or a draw) in the other match in the group, this will confirm that coach Staley Solbakken’s squad will remain in last place. However, Norway can go into the match with some confidence, especially since its loss to Portugal in the second round was its first on home soil since March 2024 (before which it achieved 11 wins and 3 draws).
As for Wales, it is ahead of Norway thanks to its victory in the direct confrontation last month (2 - 1), in which it overturned its deficit into a victory, but then lost to Denmark 0 - 1. This was its eighth defeat in 10 matches it played in the first level of this tournament (compared to one win and one draw). Any new stumble in this match will put it in the face of the inevitability of victory over Portugal in the sixth round to avoid last place and the risk of direct relegation to the second level. Wales is counting on the return of a number of influential players, led by Harry Wilson, who has recovered from injury. Coach Craig Bellamy hopes to correct the course of Wales, which has achieved only one win in its last eight matches (two draws and 5 defeats).
British media estimates revealed that Manchester United's contract with Mauricio Pochettino raised the club's spending on appointing and dismissing coaches and other senior football officials to more than 100 million pounds since Alex Ferguson's departure from coaching the team in 2013.
Sky Sports reported on Friday that Manchester United will pay about 7.4 million pounds ($9.8 million) to terminate Pochettino's contract with the American national team, while British media estimated that the dismissal of Michael Carrick and his coaching staff would cost the club at least another five million pounds. The cost may increase if sums are paid to terminate the contracts of Pochettino's assistants.
Carrick was dismissed from United's training on Thursday, less than six months after signing a two-year contract in May, and Pochettino will replace him.
The £100m figure is an estimate and not a total confirmed by the club, and includes sporting directors as well as coaches. The Telegraph newspaper estimated that the appointment of Pochettino and Carrick's departure will raise Manchester United's spending on appointing and dismissing senior football officials to more than 108 million pounds sterling.
Hiring Ruben Amorim was another expensive matter; Manchester United paid Sporting 11 million euros ($12 million) to terminate his contract, as Reuters reported at the time, before dismissing him in January 2026, after only 14 months of assuming the position.
The club later recorded a cost of £8.2 million related to his departure and restructuring.
Manchester United's accounts showed that the dismissal of Erik Ten Hag and his assistant staff cost the club 10.4 million pounds, while the Telegraph reported that the cost of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's departure amounted to 9.1 million pounds.
The newspaper estimated the cost associated with the departure of Ralf Rangnick and his staff and other changes in football management at £14.7 million.
The Telegraph reported that Jose Mourinho's dismissal in 2018 cost the club £19.6 million, while Louis van Gaal's departure two years earlier cost £8.4 million, and David Moyes' departure in 2014 cost £4.9 million.
She added that United also paid 1.6 million pounds sterling to Ajax to appoint Ten Hag and his assistant Mitchell van der Gaag, and about 1 million pounds sterling to Molde when Solskjaer took over as coach of the team.
The club incurred the costs of hiring sporting director Dan Ashworth, coming from Newcastle United, and then terminating his contract within five months.
Pochettino's arrival has added another significant sum to the cost of 13 years of turmoil, as Manchester United continue to search for the stability that characterized the Ferguson era.
