João Félix mark, Portugal beat Wales in the debut of Jorge Jesus and prepares to face Norway

Portugal made their Nations League debut with a win against Wales in the first matchday match of the competition. The clash marked Jorge Jesus's debut as captain and also had a moment of tension for the Portuguese: Cristiano Ronaldo scored an unanswered goal.

The match served as the first official test of the new Seleção Portuguesa cycle.Debuts in a technical command usually generate great expectation, and the scenario was no different: more than the result itself, the game allowed to observe the first ideas of the young coach, from the tactical organization of the team to the choices of escalation and how the group responded to changes.The cancellation of Cristiano Ronaldo's goal was the most tense throw of the match, but the team managed to circumvent the moment and find in the attack of João Félix the way to three points.For the author of the goal, scoring in a debut match represents an important affirmation within the dispute for space in the Portuguese offensive, traditionally full of names in European football.

On the other hand, Wales, one of the teams that usually relies on its traditional collective grip, found it difficult to break through the opponent's blockade and ended the match without being able to react to the goal suffered.

Shortly after the debut, the Portuguese delegation has already embarked on its next mission. The team arrived in Oslo, Norway where it is preparing for Sunday's match against the Norwegian national team for UEFA Nations League 2026/27.

The Nations League is the national team competition organized by UEFA that divides European teams into leagues according to their level, promoting more balanced clashes beyond traditional tournaments such as the European Championship.

With the victory in their debut, Portugal aims to maintain a good momentum against Norway in what will be its second match of the 2026/27 edition of the tournament. A new positive result away from home would consolidate the good start in the group stage and give the coach an opportunity to continue printing his mark on the team, with little room for experiments in a short calendar.