Portugal opened their defence of the UEFA Nations League title with a narrow victory over Wales in Lisbon, giving Jorge Jesus a winning start as national team manager.
Joao Felix scored the only goal of the match midway through the first half at Estadio Jose Alvalade, where Cristiano Ronaldo began his professional career with Sporting 24 years ago.
Ronaldo, now 41, returned to the Portugal side for the fixture and had several opportunities to add to the scoreline. Felix broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute after his effort from around 20 yards took a slight deflection off Wales defender Ben Davies before beating goalkeeper Danny Ward.
Wales had an early effort ruled out for offside when Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas finished from close range, but Portugal soon began creating the clearer chances. Ronaldo, Ruben Neves and Ruben Dias all came close to extending the hosts’ advantage before the interval.
Portugal continued to press after the restart, with Ronaldo missing a particularly good opportunity when he failed to connect properly with a volley from six yards.The veteran forward appeared to have doubled Portugal’s lead shortly before the hour mark when he poked the ball past Ward. However, the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Haaland Scores Twice as Norway Beat Denmark in Nations League
Portugal Survives Late Pressure
Portugal’s inability to add a second goal kept Wales in contention, and Craig Bellamy’s side grew stronger during the closing stages. Wales came close to equalising 15 minutes from time when Brennan Johnson’s looping attempt from a tight angle struck the crossbar. Koumas then appeared to have a chance from the rebound, but Manchester City defender Dias produced a crucial block to deny him.
Portugal survived the late pressure to secure their first victory under Jesus and begin their Nations League campaign with three points. The result extended Wales’ difficult run, with Bellamy’s side still without a win in five matches during 2026.
