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João Félix ensured Jorge Jesus began his reign as Portugal coach with a victory, scoring the only goal in a hard-fought 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over Wales in Lisbon.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, endured a frustrating evening in front of goal as Portugal dominated the chances without turning their superiority into a more comfortable result.
Portugal started aggressively at the Estádio José Alvalade, immediately pushing Wales deep and searching for an early breakthrough.
Ronaldo had an opportunity to open the scoring inside the opening 10 minutes after being released by Félix, but the Portugal captain sent his effort narrowly wide.
Félix Breaks the Deadlock
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 22nd minute.
Félix collected the ball in an advanced position before firing towards goal, with his effort taking a deflection off Wales captain Ben Davies on its way past goalkeeper Danny Ward.
It proved to be the decisive moment of the match and gave Jorge Jesus the perfect result in his first competitive game in charge of the national team.
Portugal continued to create chances after taking the lead, with Ronaldo repeatedly finding himself in dangerous positions.
However, the 41-year-old was unable to add to his remarkable international scoring record.
Ronaldo Left Frustrated Against Wales
Ronaldo had several opportunities throughout the contest as Portugal piled pressure on the Welsh defence.
His frustration continued after the break when he thought he had finally found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out following a VAR intervention.
Ronaldo, making his 234th appearance for Portugal, was eventually replaced by Gonçalo Ramos in the 67th minute.
Despite failing to score, Portugal were comfortably the more threatening side.
They finished the match with 22 attempts compared with Wales’ five, although their failure to convert more of those chances kept the visitors in contention until the final whistle. Wales failed to register a shot on target.
Winning Start for Jorge Jesus
The performance was not flawless, but the result was exactly what Portugal needed as they opened their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign.
Jorge Jesus, who took over following Roberto Martínez’s departure after the World Cup, began his tenure with three points and a clean sheet. Portugal entered the competition as defending Nations League champions.
Wales showed greater resistance as the match progressed but struggled to seriously threaten Diogo Costa’s goal.
For Portugal, the main concern will be their finishing after creating enough opportunities to win by a far greater margin.
For Félix, however, it was a night to remember.
His first-half strike proved enough to secure victory and ensure the Jorge Jesus era began with a win — even on a night when Ronaldo could not find the goal he spent much of the evening chasing.
