Portugal began the defense of their Nations League crown with a battling win over Wales as Cristiano Ronaldo made his return to Lisbon.
Joao Felix’s deflected shot proved the difference midway through the first half at Estadio Jose Alvalade the ground where Ronaldo, 41, launched his professional career with Sporting 24 years earlier.
Ronaldo squandered a golden opportunity and also had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half before being substituted, as the hosts kept threatening to extend their advantage.
Wales’ clearest opening fell to Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas, but Ruben Dias made a vital last-ditch block to ensure his team started the Jorge Jesus era with a win in the Portuguese capital.
The pre-match talk revolved around Ronaldo’s choice to prolong his international career and his return to the ‘City of Light.’
Yet it was his Al-Nassr teammate Felix who beat Danny Ward from roughly 20 yards out, aided by a slight deflection off Ben Davies in the 22nd minute.
An early close-range attempt from Koumas who was flagged offside was about as good as it got for Craig Bellamy’s men, while Ronaldo, Ruben Neves, and Dias wasted chances for the hosts.
Presented with the goal at his mercy, Ronaldo failed to find the target with a volley from six yards shortly after the restart.
The forward believed he had his moment in the spotlight just before the hour mark when he prodded the ball past Ward, but the goal was chalked off for offside after a video assistant referee review.
Portugal’s failure to be ruthless kept Wales alive in the contest, and Bellamy’s side—who finished the game strongly—had their opportunity to snatch an unexpected point 15 minutes from time.
Brennan Johnson’s looping effort from a tight angle struck the crossbar, and Koumas’ follow-up was superbly blocked by Manchester City’s Dias as Wales finally managed a shot on target.
After surviving that scare, Portugal rode out a decent spell of Welsh pressure to claim victory in their first match under Jesus and leave Wales without a win in five games in 2026.
