João Félix gives Portugal 1-0 win over Wales in Jorge Jesus debut

Portugal beat Wales 1-0 in Lisbon on Thursday as João Félix secured a winning start for new national coach Jorge Jesus. RTP reported that the defending Nations League champions opened their 2026/27 Group A4 campaign with victory at the Estádio José Alvalade, following Jesus’s appointment as Roberto Martínez’s successor.

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Félix made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute. According to The Guardian, Mendes supplied Félix, whose shot from outside the penalty area deflected off Davies and beat Ward. The goal gave Portugal a lead they carried into half-time and ultimately protected until the final whistle.

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to add a second after the interval, but his effort was cancelled following a VAR review in the 59th minute, Football Nation’s match record shows. He was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos eight minutes later, with João Palhinha also coming on for Rúben Neves in a double substitution.

Football Nation recorded Portugal with 61 per cent possession and 10 corners to Wales’s two. Those figures reflected the hosts’ greater share of the ball and set-piece opportunities, although they did not translate into a second goal. The visitors remained only one strike away from drawing level.

Wales introduced Daniel James for David Brooks before making further changes that included Chris Mepham, Kieffer Moore and Sorba Thomas. Portugal also used Nuno Tavares, Diogo Dalot and João Neves from the bench. Neither side added to the scoring, leaving Félix as the match’s only goalscorer.

For Wales, the defeat began their return to League A following promotion under Craig Bellamy. The Football Association of Wales notes that they earned that promotion by finishing unbeaten at the top of their 2024 group, ahead of Türkiye, with a 4-1 victory over Iceland securing first place in the final round.

Bellamy’s team now continue a four-match international window. According to the FAW’s published schedule, Wales visit Denmark in Copenhagen on September 27 before returning to Cardiff for Norway on October 1 and Denmark on October 4. Those fixtures provide their next opportunities to collect points after leaving Lisbon empty-handed.