Ruben Neves demands Portugal take responsibility after Denmark humiliation

Ruben Neves says Portugal must accept responsibility for their mistakes after suffering a 4-1 defeat by Denmark in the fifth and penultimate round of the League A group stage in the UEFA Nations League.

The result was Portugal’s first defeat in the group and leaves them top with 12 points. Denmark moved on to nine points, while Norway reached six after beating Wales 3-1 in the same round.

Neves, who plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, said Portugal must improve quickly before their final group match against Wales on Tuesday, 17 November 2026. He described that game as crucial to securing top spot.

The midfielder started against Denmark at Braga, where Cristiano Ronaldo was honoured following his retirement from international football. Neves was replaced in the 64th minute and acknowledged that his own performance had not been good enough.

Speaking to Portuguese broadcaster RTP, in comments reported by Record, Neves said Denmark began the match with intensity and applied significant pressure. Portugal struggled to compete in individual duels, while Denmark opened the scoring from the penalty spot.

The visitors then struck twice in quick succession at the start of the second half, making a comeback increasingly difficult.

“We had to come out strongly in the second half, but we conceded two goals in quick succession,” Neves said.

Portugal had gone into half-time only one goal behind, and Neves revealed that the players had remained confident during their interval discussion. He said the match had still been close at that stage and that the squad believed its quality could enable it to turn the contest around.

However, Denmark’s two early second-half goals disrupted Portugal’s balance and set them on course for a heavy defeat.

“We conceded goals that we cannot concede,” Neves added.

He was particularly unhappy with Denmark’s third goal, which came from a free-kick near the halfway line after only two touches. Neves said such goals highlighted errors that Portugal could and should correct.

Rather than searching for excuses, the midfielder insisted the squad needed to face up to its performance.

“We have to take responsibility for our mistakes. We are men capable of accepting them and coming back in the next match,” he said.

Despite the scale of the defeat, Neves stressed that Portugal still had an important opportunity against Wales to confirm their position at the top of the group. He called for a strong response from the team in the final game.

The Al Hilal player said Portugal’s immediate priority was to react collectively, improve their defensive work and correct the mistakes exposed by a display which fell short of the team’s expectations and its capabilities.