Portugal vs Chile LIVE Updates: Both sides go down to 10 men in heated first half of pre-World Cup 2026 international friendly (0-0)

The first half between Portugal and Chile delivered plenty of drama, intensity, and controversy at the Estadio Nacional. Portugal started on the brighter side, creating several chances through Rafael Leao and Cristiano Ronaldo, who also saw a goal ruled out for offside.

Chile struggled to build sustained pressure but briefly threatened on the counter, while both sides traded physical battles in midfield. The game then boiled over late in the half, with VAR intervening in a mass confrontation that resulted in red cards for Ivan Roman and Leao, leaving both teams down to ten men.

Portugal is left furious after a series of soft fouls in their own half, with tensions boiling over following a challenge on Rafael Leao near the corner flag. A mass confrontation breaks out, with Ivan Roman going down amid the chaos as players from both sides rush in.

VAR is called into action, and after review, the referee issues a red card to Roman and a red card to Leao for their involvement in the altercation. Both Chile and Portugal are now down to 10 men in a heated moment that has completely changed the atmosphere of the match!

Portugal is awarded a dangerous free kick after Felipe Loyola goes in with a sliding tackle and catches his opponent, prompting the referee to blow for a foul. Cristiano Ronaldo steps up from the edge of the box and fires a powerful effort towards goal, but the shot is blocked by the wall and fails to trouble Chile’s goalkeeper.

Cristiano Ronaldo is played through brilliantly for Portugal and calmly slots the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs! However, the celebrations are cut short as the assistant referee’s flag goes up for offside. A sharp finish from the Portugal captain, but it won’t count.

Portugal goalkeeper Jose Sa makes a costly error as his pass towards Ruben Dias is under-hit, allowing Chile to step in and steal possession. The mistake briefly opens up danger, but Dias reacts brilliantly, tracking back at pace and throwing himself in the way to block the pass and prevent a certain chance.

Nelson Semedo and Francisco Conceicao combine with quick, nimble footwork to carve open space and drift into the box, creating a dangerous opening for Portugal. The move eventually falls to Samu Costa, but his shot lacks power and is comfortably saved by Lawrence Vigouroux.

Bruno Fernandes picks out Cristiano Ronaldo inside the area, but his low effort is smartly saved with the goalkeeper’s feet to keep Chile level.

Rafael Leao beats two defenders and drives into space just outside the box for Portugal. However, his powerful shot crashes off the left post and goes wide, with Chile surviving the scare!

Lawrence Vigouroux of Chile comes up with a brilliant reflex save to keep the score level, denying a powerful header from Ruben Dias. The Portugal defender had risen well to meet a teasing cross delivered from the flank, directing his effort towards the right-hand post, but Vigouroux reacted sharply, diving across goal to push the ball away at full stretch.

The referee for the international friendly between Portugal and Chile is Luca Zufferli.

Match Officials

Zufferli is one of Italy’s emerging top-flight officials, regularly taking charge of high-intensity fixtures in Serie A. Known for his calm management style and authoritative presence, this high-profile international pre-World Cup friendly represents an important showcase fixture on his rising European refereeing resume

Portugal and Chile have faced each other four times in their history before today’s friendly, with Portugal holding the stronger record overall.

Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played: 4
Portugal Wins: 1
Chile Wins: 1
Draws: 2

Previous Meetings

1928 (Olympic Games): Portugal 0-0 Chile
1972 (Friendly): Portugal 4-1 Chile
2011 (Friendly): Chile 1-1 Portugal
2017 (Confederations Cup Semi-final): Portugal 0-0 Chile (Chile won 3-0 on penalties)

Portugal also comes into this fixture with an impressive home record, remaining unbeaten in their last eight home friendly matches while averaging 2.6 goals per game during that dominant stretch.

The match between Portugal and Chile is being played at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon, Portugal, a historic 37,500-seater stadium just outside the city that regularly hosts major international fixtures and serves as one of the country’s key venues for high-profile friendlies and national team matches.

Head coach Nicolas Cordova confirmed the 11 players who'll start the game against Portugal:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK: Vigouroux
DEF: Arce, Maripan, Faundez, Suazo
MID: Pizarro, Loyola; Gutierrez, Osorio, Roman
ST: Tapia

Head coach Roberto Martinez confirmed the 11 players who'll start the game against Chile:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK: Sa
DEF: Semedo, Dias, Veiga,Cancelo
MID: Costa, Silva, Conceicao, Fernandes, Leao
ST: Ronaldo

The game between Portugal and Chile will kick off at 1:45 PM (ET). You can watch this 2026 international friendly live on Fubo, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video and ViX.

Kick-off is fast approaching in Lisbon, where Portugal prepares for a highly competitive clash against Chile. With both nations highly motivated to build vital momentum, this is a heavyweight encounter that soccer fans around the globe won’t want to miss. Stay with us and follow the live action of the match as we bring you the confirmed lineups next, followed by every single kick, tackle, and goal from Lisbon!