João Félix, candidate to succeed Ronaldo under Jorge Jesus

At the Nations League Stadium, Portugal debuted under the direction of Jorge Jesus with a narrow 1‑0 victory against Wales, and it was João Félix who, at the 22nd minute, scored the only goal that opened the way to his aspiration to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo.

An offensive and solid approach

The 72‑year‑old coach, born in Amadora, devised a system that combined offensive pressure with a very coherent defence throughout the 90 minutes. Portugal kept possession and limited Wales' options, which managed to play but without creating real danger. The performance showed Jesus' intention to balance attack and defensive order.

Line‑up and starring role of the starters

The starting eleven featured Diogo Costa in goal; the back four was made up of Nuno Mendes, Renato Veiga, Rúben Dias and João Cancelo. In midfield, Rúben Neves acted as the pivot while Vitinha, Pedro Neto and Bruno Fernandes provided creativity. Cristiano Ronaldo, captain and forward, shared the attack with João Félix, both also teammates at Al‑Nassr.

Cristiano Ronaldo misses the shot one metre under Jorge Jesus

Wales tried to respond through Brennan Johnson, who moved out to the wing and became more relevant as the match progressed. However, the Portuguese defence, led by left‑back Nuno Mendes, gave the Welsh side few chances.

Cristiano Ronaldo saw a goal that would have been his 148th for the national team ruled out for offside. The referee's decision left the veteran without the goal as Portugal celebrated the win.

Joao Felix leads Portugal to victory over Wales

Future outlook: Félix as Ronaldo's successor

After the win, Bruno Fernandes said the display was “very positive” and highlighted his new role on the left flank, a position he had rarely occupied. The midfielder emphasized that the team created many chances, including the disallowed goal, and that continuing to generate opportunities will allow them to score more goals. João Félix, with his decisive goal, emerges as the main candidate to be the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo, a message that was also broadcast on the national team's official website.