Portugal starts the Nations League under Jorge Jesus

At the José Alvalade, under an autumn sky, Portuguese fans held their breath as the referee signaled the start of the duel against Wales. In the twenty‑second minute, João Félix broke the silence with a powerful shot that found the net, scoring the only goal of the match and marking Jorge Jesús's debut at the helm of the national team.

Jorge Jesús's Debut and First Three Points

The 1‑0 victory gave Portugal three points in Matchday 1 of Group 4 of the Nations League, a title they are defending. The EFE report, written by journalist Mario Calderón from Madrid, described the win as “fair yet tight”. With Jesús's arrival, the team kept most of the eleven starters who were eliminated by Spain in Dallas, replacing only Rubén with João Félix.

João Félix, the goal scorer, netted his sixth goal of the season, unleashing a thunderbolt from about thirty metres that beat the Welsh goalkeeper. The striker entered the starting eleven in place of Rubén, while the lineup also featured Diogo Costa, João Cancelo and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others.

Cristiano Ronaldo sought an equaliser on several occasions, but his shots were deflected or ruled out by VAR. In one play, he received a free ball from the right and, trying to push it, sent it out, prompting a review by the assistant referee and confirming that the goal did not count.

Portugal wins despite tired Ronaldo, Klopp sees Germany cling to Netherlands

Persistent Problems and Other Notes

Although Portugal dominated possession, Wales's pressure in the first ten minutes forced the Portuguese to rethink their game, a situation that recalled the tactical problems that arose under ‘Bob’ Martínez's guidance. In another match on the same day, Germany faced the Netherlands, where Dumfries ran out to “take on” Kimmich, as reported by the press.

The referee showed a yellow card to Wales's Ben Cabango in the seventy‑first minute, while the substitutions made by both coaches extended the stability of the match until the final whistle.

At the end of the match, coach Jorge Jesús quoted a line from The Leopard: “If we want everything to stay as it is, everything must change”, highlighting the intention to refresh the style without losing the team’s essence.

Jorge Jesus starts with João Félix to open the scoring against Wales

With the win, Portugal positions itself as the favourite in its group, but the low number of clear chances and the reliance on individual moments, such as those of João Félix and Cristiano Ronaldo, indicate that defending the title will require tactical adjustments under Jesús's new leadership.