Portugal takes the upper hand over Wales in the Nations League

Portugal faced Wales in the Nations League on 24 September 2026 at 20:45, under the supervision of referee Donatas Rumšas, with both teams lining up in the 4‑2‑3‑1 and 4‑3‑3 formations. Portugal dominated possession with 70 % to 30 % and recorded 12 shots off target and 7 on target.

Team line‑ups

Headlining, coach J. Pinheiro de Jesus selected the 4‑2‑3‑1 formation for Portugal, with D. Meireles da Costa (19), Tavares Mendes (13), R. Palma Veiga (3) and the attacking duo R. dos Santos Gato, Alves Dias (20). The defence included J. Cavaco Cancelo (23), V. Machado Ferreira (21) and R. da Silva Neves (11). In attack, J. Félix Sequeira (8), B. Borges Fernandes (18) and P. Lomba Neto (7) completed the starting eleven. On the Wales side, coach C. Bellamy opted for a 4‑3‑3 formation, lining up D. Ward, J. Dasilva, B. Davies, B. Cabango, N. Williams, E. Ampadu, J. Sheehan, J. James, B. Johnson, L. Koumas and D. Brooks.

Match statistics

Direct data and the DIRECT records show possession of 70 % for Portugal against 30 % for Wales, 12 shots off target and 7 on target, as well as 514 total passes with a success rate of 68 % for Portugal and 32 % for Wales. The number of fouls amounts to eight.

Portugal's substitutes included J. Dalot Teixeira, R. Dantas da Silva, F. Fernandes da Conceição, J. Gonçalves Neves, S. Jumpe Soares, T. Lemos Araújo and J. Lobo Alves Palhares, while the Welsh bench featured W. Burns, J. Colwill, D. Cornell, L. Cullen, T. Harris, D. James, T. King, C. Mepham, K. Moore, R. Norrington‑Davies, C. Roberts and B. Thomas.

The officiating was carried out by Donatas Rumšas, the match taking place at the stadium listed in the programme, on 24/09/2026 at 20:45. Direct coverage broadcast each key moment in real time.

The encounter highlighted Portugal's superiority in possession and passing accuracy, while Wales sought to exploit the spaces provided by the 4‑3‑3 formation.