A Ukrainian refereeing crew will officiate the Denmark–Portugal match in the Nations League

Ukrainian referee Mykola Balakin has been appointed to officiate the 2026/27 Nations League match between the national teams of Denmark and Portugal. The Kyiv-based referee will be assisted by his compatriots.

Mykola Balakin’s assistants will be Ukrainian linesmen Oleksandr Berkut and Viktor Matyash. Klym Zabroda has been appointed as the fourth official.

Englishman Stuart Atwell and Ukrainian referee Viktor Kopievsky will be in charge of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

Thus, an entire Ukrainian refereeing crew led by Mykola Balakin will officiate the match in Copenhagen.

This is not Mykola Balakin’s first international assignment in recent times. The Kyiv-based referee recently officiated in the opening round of the Champions League.

In that match, under his watch, France’s Paris Saint-Germain crushed Bratislava’s Slovan 6–1.

Balakin’s track record also includes a match in the qualifying round of the premier European club competition and games in the Ukrainian Premier League.

The Denmark vs. Portugal match will take place on October 1, 2026.

The match will be held at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. Kyiv time.

The announcement was made on the tournament’s official website.

The Ukrainian national soccer team has already played two matches in the UEFA Nations League this September. First, the “blue-and-yellows” defeated Hungary in Budapest, and later beat Georgia in Tbilisi.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia assessed Georgia’s draw with Ukraine and apologized to the fans.

Latvia and Cyprus played to a scoreless draw in the Nations League — LSM English.

Mbata and McGopa returned to training ahead of the MTN8 final — TimesLIVE.