Portugal beat Wales 1-0 at Estádio José Alvalade in UEFA Nations League on September 24, 2026

Portugal defeated Wales 1-0 at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon in the UEFA Nations League 2026-27 on September 24, 2026. João Félix’s 22nd-minute strike decided the match and Cristiano Ronaldo had a 59th-minute effort ruled out for offside.

Jorge Jesus made his management debut for Portugal following the 2026 World Cup, after replacing Roberto Martínez, and the defending champions opened their Nations League campaign with a 1-0 victory. The starting XI featured 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo alongside Bruno Fernandes, João Félix and Pedro Neto, and Portugal controlled much of the ball without adding to their tally.

The only goal came in the 22nd minute when João Félix, the Al-Nassr forward, converted a long-range strike that took a deflection to give the home side the lead. That goal proved to be the game-winner as Portugal held the advantage until the final whistle.

In the 59th minute Cristiano Ronaldo believed he had scored what would have been his 147th goal for Portugal, but a VAR review showed he was offside after he struck the back of the net and the goal was disallowed. The ruling denied Portugal a second goal and kept the scoreline at 1-0.

Craig Bellamy’s Welsh side began their return to competition with a difficult night, arriving severely depleted by pre-match injury withdrawals. Harry Wilson, Joe Rodon and Nathan Broadhead were among the players absent, which the article says seriously hindered the visitors and limited their ability to create clear-cut chances.

Despite Portugal’s star-studded attacking options and possession dominance, the team were unable to extend their lead beyond João Félix’s 22nd-minute strike. They will hope to keep up the winning start when they play again.