João Félix’s first-half strike gives Portugal 1-0 Nations League win over Wales; Ronaldo taken off in 67th minute
João Félix’s first-half strike secured a 1-0 Nations League victory for Portugal over Wales at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon on 24 September 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo started for Portugal but was substituted in the 67th minute after a sequence of missed opportunities and a disallowed goal.
The match carried extra attention on Ronaldo, who was playing in Lisbon for the first time since last October and started as Jorge Jesus had promised he would; the 41-year-old’s return attracted a strong local reaction. Jesus, who spent last season coaching Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, had defended him ahead of the game and described him as a symbol of Portugal. Portugal made one change from the side that lost to Spain in the World Cup last-16 in Dallas: Rúben Neves replaced João Neves in the three-man midfield. Outside the stadium, the local commercial scene underlined Ronaldo’s profile, with official Portugal stores in Praça da Figueira selling a wide range of CR7-branded merchandise.
The decisive moment came in the first half when Nuno Mendes moved infield and found João Félix, who struck from around 20 yards; the shot took a nick off Wales captain Ben Davies and beat Danny Ward in goal. Félix’s finish proved enough to separate the teams in a game Portugal might have won by a larger margin.
Ronaldo dominated headlines for his missed opportunities. He passed up four chances in the first half, including one from about 12 yards that he scuffed, and a free-kick was blocked by the Wales wall. Early in the second half he failed to convert a Rúben Neves cross, shanking the ball over from close range, and later had a goal ruled out for offside after a VAR review when he met a Bruno Fernandes pass. He removed the captain’s armband before leaving the pitch and was hurried off by referee Donatas Rumsas amid strong applause from much of the crowd.
Wales, led by interim manager Craig Bellamy, arrived with a depleted squad and some absences through injury, including Harry Wilson and Karl Darlow. Bellamy had warned his side would need to suffer against a Portugal team featuring five Champions League winners. Ben Cabango’s header was Wales’s only first-half effort, Brennan Johnson struck the crossbar, and Rúben Dias made a last-ditch block to deny Lewis Koumas; substitutes included Kieffer Moore, who sliced wide a late chance. Jay Dasilva earned praise for his performance at left-back, while Davies made his second appearance of the season and Ward’s last outing had been six weeks earlier in the Carabao Cup for Wrexham.
Portugal created numerous openings beyond Félix’s goal and several players, including Nuno Mendes, spurned presentable chances as the hosts applied pressure without adding to the scoreline. Bruno Fernandes featured in key attacking moves and supplied passes that created opportunities for Ronaldo and others, but Portugal were unable to convert dominance into additional goals.
Portugal leave Lisbon with three Nations League points from a narrow win, while Wales can take encouragement from a tight performance despite a thin squad and recent lack of match minutes for several starters. Portugal should have extended their lead but Wales will take plenty of confidence from this slender defeat.
