Martin Odegaard was left furious after Bernardo Silva caught him with a late challenge during Norway’s defeat to Portugal, while the Arsenal captain also revealed that no apology was offered after the match.

Odegaard Slams Bernardo Silva After Controversial Challenge Against Norway

Martin Odegaard has strongly criticised Bernardo Silva after a controversial late challenge during Norway’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal.

The incident happened late in the match when Bernardo caught Odegaard from behind after the Norway captain had already played the ball.

Odegaard was left on the ground in pain and later walked away from the stadium with discomfort in his ankle.

After the match, the Arsenal midfielder made it clear that he was extremely unhappy with the challenge.

Odegaard furious after late tackle

The incident happened during stoppage time as Norway were pushing for a way back into the game.

Odegaard had already released the ball when Bernardo arrived late and made contact with him from behind.

The Portugal midfielder was shown a yellow card.

But Odegaard believed the challenge went far beyond what was acceptable.

Speaking after the match, he said Bernardo had lost control of himself and caught him long after the ball had gone.

Odegaard added:

“It doesn’t belong on a football field.”

Odegaard says Bernardo did not apologise

The Norway captain was also asked whether Bernardo had spoken to him after the challenge.

Odegaard revealed that no apology had been made.

That appeared to make the situation even more frustrating for the Arsenal midfielder.

When reporters asked what he had said to Bernardo on the pitch, Odegaard suggested his words were not suitable to repeat on television.

It was a rare public display of anger from a player usually known for remaining calm.

Was it really a “dirty” tackle?

Several reports have described Bernardo’s challenge as a:

“DIRTY TACKLE”

However, there is an important clarification.

Odegaard himself did not directly use the word “dirty.”

That description came from Norwegian media and television commentary around the incident.

Odegaard’s own criticism was still extremely strong.

He said Bernardo had lost his head, arrived late and made a challenge that should not have happened on a football pitch.

Bernardo gives short response

Bernardo was also asked about the incident after Portugal’s victory.

His response was very brief.

He said:

“It’s football, my friend.”

The comment immediately attracted attention because it came after Odegaard had publicly criticised the challenge.

Bernardo did not give a long explanation or directly apologise in his post-match comments.

Norway players also unhappy

Odegaard was not the only Norway player unhappy with what happened.

Patrick Berg suggested the challenge looked deliberate.

Andreas Schjelderup also described the tackle as late and unnecessary.

The reaction inside the Norway squad showed how seriously they viewed the incident.

Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos, however, played down the controversy and suggested that challenges like this can happen during football matches.

Arsenal face injury concern

The biggest concern now is Odegaard’s physical condition.

The Arsenal captain said he had received a strong blow to his ankle.

He was seen receiving treatment after the final whistle and later appeared to be walking with discomfort.

At the latest update, there had been no official diagnosis confirming a serious injury.

Norway’s medical staff are expected to continue monitoring him before their next international match.

A difficult night for Norway

The challenge came at the end of a frustrating evening for the hosts.

Norway were beaten 2-1 by Portugal in the Nations League.

Erling Haaland scored for Norway, but Portugal eventually secured all three points.

The late clash between Odegaard and Bernardo became one of the biggest talking points after the final whistle.

No additional punishment confirmed

Bernardo received a yellow card for the challenge during the match.

At the moment, there has been no official confirmation of any further disciplinary action.

That means the yellow card remains the only confirmed punishment connected to the incident.

Unless UEFA decides to review the situation further, there may be no additional sanction.

The controversy may continue

For now, three things remain at the centre of the story.

Odegaard strongly criticised the challenge.

Bernardo responded with a short message.

And Norway are waiting to see whether their captain suffered any significant injury.

What looked like one late tackle has now turned into one of the biggest controversies from the Norway vs Portugal clash.

And if Odegaard’s ankle problem proves serious, the debate around Bernardo’s challenge is likely to become even louder.