Jordan James: Wales will have no fear in Nations League opener against Portugal
Jordan James says Wales will have no fear when they face Portugal in Lisbon in their UEFA Nations League A opener on Thursday, 24 September, kick-off 19:45 BST.
James, a Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, warned that a depleted Wales squad will not be overawed despite missing players including Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor and the recent withdrawals of Karl Darlow, Nathan Broadhead and Harry Wilson; Wales returned to the top tier of the Nations League by winning their League B group in 2024. Portugal can call on a string of star names including Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes, plus 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. In Portugal's most recent game, the 1-0 defeat by Spain in the round of 16 at this summer's World Cup, Paris St-Germain duo Neves and Vitinha lined up at the base of midfield with Manchester United captain Fernandes in front of them.
"Obviously they're the best players in the world at the end of the day, you can't really sugarcoat it," James said, while noting Wales are used to being underdogs and will try to use that status to their advantage. "They've got Champions League winners, they've got these kinds of things. "I think we're always underdogs. We're used to it, so hopefully we can use that to benefit ourselves. "You can't count us out. We've got a puncher's chance at the end of the day and we're going there to sort of cause an upset." James also pointed out Wales are seeking a first win since last November's World Cup qualifying triumph against North Macedonia.
Jordan James has scored once in 26 appearances for Wales and, described elsewhere in the squad notes as a 21-cap player, has previously coped with elite opponents. He recalled his performance in Wales' October 2023 victory over Croatia, a side that featured Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic. "I've still got Kovacic's shirt on the game up in my room," James said, adding, "That was a really proud moment for me at such a young age to be able to compete against the best. "It was a really proud moment and hopefully there will be many, many more."
James said star names rarely unsettle him, although he admitted to feeling "a bit star-struck" when he lined up for Leicester City against Frank Lampard's Coventry City last season because Lampard is his idol. James, who was born 11 months after Ronaldo joined Manchester United the first time in 2003, described the prospect of facing the former Real Madrid forward as "a bit mad" and commented on the Portuguese forward's career: "We're all trying to achieve the same thing, to be the best player in the world," James said. "But you get those sort of aliens in a way that don't seem human. You look at the Messis, the Neymars, the Ronaldos - they've just got that extra little quality where in big moments they turn up and can do it again and again and again. "I think that's the main thing. The longevity of how they're able to do it is unbelievable." The article notes Ronaldo has scored 146 international goals over 23 years.
Live coverage of the match is available on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and 5 Live, and via the BBC Sport website and app, with live text commentary.