Joao Felix deflected goal gives Portugal 1-0 win over Wales

A 22nd-minute strike that deflected off Ben Davies decided the Nations League opener in Lisbon, where Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal ruled out by VAR.

Portugal opened their Nations League campaign with a 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon, decided by a 22nd-minute Joao Felix strike that deflected off Ben Davies and beat goalkeeper Danny Ward from around 20 yards. Felix, who plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, settled a contest in which Ronaldo had a frustrating night in front of goal.

Ronaldo was making his 234th international appearance after opting to continue his Portugal career following a disappointing World Cup. He squandered several chances, fired a close-range tap-in over the bar from a Ruben Neves setup, and had a goal disallowed after a VAR review ruled him offside shortly before the hour mark. He was substituted in the 67th minute.

Portugal, ranked seventh in the world and 31 places above Wales, controlled much of the game and finished with 23 shots to Wales' five. The match was Jorge Jesus's first in charge of the national side, and it took place at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, where Ronaldo began his career with Sporting Lisbon.

Wales, under manager Craig Bellamy, were without key players including Harry Wilson, Joe Rodon and goalkeeper Karl Darlow, with Ward of Wrexham making only his second appearance of the season. Bellamy had nearly left for Burnley in the summer but stayed on and framed the difficult group, which also features Norway and Denmark, as a chance to improve Wales' seeding for the 2028 European Championship.

Wales came close to an equalizer late on when Brennan Johnson broke through and clipped the ball onto the crossbar from the byline. Lewis Koumas tried to force home the rebound, but Ruben Dias cleared superbly to preserve Portugal's lead.