João Félix scored the matchwinner as Portugal defeated Wales in their opening Nations League fixture in Lisbon.
Portugal had Félix to thank for sparing a wasteful Cristiano Ronaldo’s blushes in the thrilling clash. Ronaldo spurned several goalscoring chances, and when he eventually found the back of the net, the goal was ruled out for offside. It was a frustrating night for the Al Nassr forward. Ronaldo won a record-extending 234th international cap after deciding against international retirement following an underwhelming World Cup campaign and was named in Jorge Jesus’s starting XI at the José Alvalade Stadium, the Stadium he made his debut for Sporting over two decades ago.
The 72-year-old Jesus became the oldest coach in Portugal’s national team’s history. Wales, who were promoted from League B to League A in 2024, found the step up difficult as they struggled against their superior opponents before gradually growing into the game.
Portugal strikes early
Nations League holders Portugal got their title-defence campaign and new era under Jorge Jesus off to a perfect start against Wales. This was Jesus’s first match since taking over as Portugal’s manager from Roberto Martínez after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
João Félix opened the scoring for Portugal in the 22nd minute. Félix took aim from 20 yards out, and his shot deflected off Wales captain Ben Davies into the back of the net. Portugal controlled the opening half but were wasteful in front of goal and failed to take advantage of the opportunities to put the game to bed.
Ronaldo was given a golden chance to double Portugal’s lead from Ruben Neves’s cross shortly after the restart, but he failed to keep his shot on target from six yards. Ronaldo made amends for his shocking miss subsequently and found the back of the net from Bruno Fernandes’s pass. Still, he was adjudged offside before his goal was ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. The Portuguese legend was substituted in the 67th minute and handed the captain’s armband before walking off to a standing ovation from the fans.
Wales came close to nicking an equaliser instantly, but Brennan Johnson’s looping effort crashed against the crossbar. Liverpool starlet Lewis Koumas attempted to fire the rebound into the net but was denied brilliantly by a goal-saving clearance from Rúben Dias. Portugal held on to secure the three points in Jorge Jesus’s first game in charge while Wales remain winless in five matches in 2026.
Wales boss Craig Bellamy praised Ronaldo’s longevity and lauded his team’s bravery in a post-match statement.
“Ronaldo, he’s one of the greatest players of all generations, not just this generation. You have to plan for him because he’s beyond dangerous, even at his age,” said Bellamy.
“He’s a superstar, and I’d love to think I’d have the opportunity to be up against him again, but I don’t know, maybe time’s ticking.”
“It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot. I think that’s the longest we’ve been in a game without the ball,” Bellamy added.
“I thought we could have done more with the ball. But I have to be honest, I’m beyond proud as well. We have a lot of players who weren’t here. A lot of players who don’t play week in, week out.
“So for them to use the energy they were able to, we’ve got to have a big heart. They’ve always shown that and they showed that again. I think there’s more for us, so that’s something we always look at as a positive.”
Bruno Fernandes admitted securing the three points was crucial to BBC Sport.
“I think it was a very good game. We controlled it and had a lot of chances but were not capable of scoring more. We wanted the three points and got that.
“We always have a point to prove. The expectations are high on ourselves. It’s a positive win for us.”
“We knew they were good. If they play in the Premier League, they need to be at a high level.”
“We knew they could cause us problems. We scored one, and we didn’t concede. That’s the big thing,” added Fernandes.
Portugal will square off against Norway in their next Nations League match on the 27th of September, while
Wales would turn their attention to Denmark.
