Odegaard confronts Bernardo Silva after late tackle mars Norway's Nations League defeat to Portugal

Norway captain Martin Odegaard was left limping and furious after Bernardo Silva caught his ankle with a late challenge during stoppage time of Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory in Oslo on Sunday, with the Arsenal skipper caught on camera repeatedly shouting an expletive in English at his long-term rival.

Silva, who left Manchester City for Real Madrid in the summer, raised his right foot too late to block a deep left-footed pass from Odegaard, before aiming a kick at the rear of the Norwegian’s trailing left foot. The challenge earned Silva a yellow card but did little to defuse the tension between the two players.

“This has no place on a football pitch,” Odegaard told Norwegian broadcaster TV2 while limping towards the team bus more than an hour after the final whistle.

Silva was notably unbothered when asked about the incident afterwards. “What tackle?” he responded, before adding: “It’s football, my friend.” The 32-year-old spent nine years at Manchester City, winning six Premier League titles during that spell.

The clash carries an extra edge given the history between the two players’ clubs. Arsenal finished runners-up to City in two of those title-winning campaigns, in 2023 and 2024, before Odegaard captained the Gunners to their first Premier League title in 22 years last season. The two sides currently sit first and second in the early Premier League standings.

The backdrop to the rivalry is further complicated by the ongoing legal proceedings against Manchester City, who were charged with breaking financial regulations over a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018. An independent panel has reportedly found City guilty of most of the 115 charges, though whether previous titles could be affected at a subsequent sanctions hearing remains unclear. City deny all wrongdoing.

Odegaard and Silva could face each other again as soon as Sunday, when Norway travel to Lisbon for the return Nations League group fixture.