Wales fell to an opening 1-0 Nations League defeat to Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo drew a blank in Lisbon.
On an evening when Ronaldo missed a slew of chances and had a second-half effort ruled out by a VAR intervention, it was his Al Nassr team-mate Joao Felix who settled the contest.
Ronaldo was winning cap number 234 after deciding to prolong his international career following a disappointing World Cup, but his contribution ended when substituted after 67 minutes.
Joao Felix opened the scoring for Portugal against Wales
The manner of Felix’s 22nd-minute goal was cruel on Wales, deflecting off Ben Davies, but it could not be denied that Portugal deserved their victory by having 22 shots to five.
Being pitched into a tough Nations League A group with Portugal, Norway and Denmark was Wales’ reward for promotion two years ago.
But boss Craig Bellamy – who was on the brink of leaving in the summer to join Burnley – had welcomed the challenge as an opportunity to improve their seeding for the 2028 European Championship.
More to follow…
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