Ronaldo, 21 goals short of 1,000, leads Portugal against depleted Wales in Nations League opener
Jorge Jesus takes charge of Portugal for the first time in Lisbon, while Craig Bellamy's Wales travel without several injured regulars for the start of their League A campaign.
By Eyob Hadgu · 23 September 2026
Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon, where Portugal host Wales on 24 September 2026. Photo: Vitor Oliveira / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Portugal open their Nations League campaign against Wales at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with a 7.45pm UK kick-off (18:45 GMT), and 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is set to start.
"If nothing special happens today, Ronaldo will start tomorrow," Portugal's new coach, Jorge Jesus, said at his pre-match press conference, according to beIN Sports. It is Jesus's first match in charge of the national team. He replaced Roberto Martinez after Portugal were knocked out of the World Cup by Spain in the round of 16, Al Jazeera reported.
Chasing 1,000
Ronaldo has scored 979 career goals, 833 for clubs and 146 for Portugal, according to Al Jazeera. "One goal is to achieve both – reaching 1,000 goals and the national team trying to win this Nations League," he said. Asked about retirement, he said: "I learned something from my late 30s onwards, which is to live in the moment, don't think about tomorrow."
Portugal are the defending champions, having beaten Spain 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the June 2025 final, in which Ronaldo scored Portugal's second goal.
A stretched Wales squad
Wales manager Craig Bellamy described Ronaldo as "beyond a superstar" ahead of the game, BBC Sport reported. Bellamy will be without several players, according to the Herald.Wales: defender Joe Rodon is out for eight to ten weeks with a hamstring injury, winger Harry Wilson has a quad injury, forward Nathan Broadhead has a thigh problem, and goalkeeper Karl Darlow has withdrawn. Leicester goalkeeper Dai Cornell, Huddersfield forward Joe Taylor and Reading midfielder Charlie Savage have been called up.
Wales earned promotion to League A by winning League B unbeaten. They are in Group A4 with Portugal, Denmark and Norway, and the top two teams reach the quarter-finals in March 2027.
The sides last met in the Euro 2016 semi-final in Lyon, which Portugal won 2-0 with goals from Ronaldo and Nani.
This report draws on reporting from Al Jazeera, BBC Sport, beIN Sports and the Herald.Wales.
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