Cristiano Ronaldo is set to headline a new era for Portugal when the reigning Nations League champion begins its title defence against Wales. With Jorge Jesus taking charge of his first competitive match as Portugal coach, plenty of attention has fallen on how the veteran forward will fit into the new manager’s plans at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Portugal enters the Nations League as the two-time champion, having beaten Spain on penalties in the 2025 final. The national team has won 11 of its 14 home Nations League matches, suffering only two defeats.
Wales, meanwhile, returns to League A after an unbeaten promotion campaign in the previous edition. However, Bellamy’s side has struggled for consistency recently and has gone four matches without a win, making the opening assignment in Lisbon particularly demanding.
The Selecao das Quinhas has won three of the four previous meetings between the teams, with Wales’ only victory coming in a friendly in 1951. The most recent encounter was the Euro 2016 semi-final, when Ronaldo and Nani scored in Portugal‘s 2-0 victory on the way to the European Championship title.
Jorge Jesus begins his Portugal era
Jesus has inherited a squad packed with familiar names, including Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Felix and Joao Neves, while Wales returns to League A after earning promotion. The biggest question surrounding the hosts concerns the role Ronaldo will have as the 41-year-old enters another international campaign.
The match represents Jesus’ first game in charge of Portugal after replacing Roberto Martínez following the national team’s 2026 World Cup round-of-16 exit to Spain. At 72, Jesus will also become the oldest manager to take charge of Portugal, surpassing Fernando Santos’ previous record of 68.
Head coach Jorge Jesus interacts with Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr. (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
The coach already knows Ronaldo well after working with him at Al-Nassr during the 2025-26 season, when the Saudi club won the Saudi Pro League. Jesus also has clear ideas about how he wants his Portugal team to play, with the coach emphasizing flexibility and asking players to adapt to his system.
“Each coach has their own ideas about the game, and I have mine about what I want for the National Team,” Jesus said. “Within my idea, there is more of a second striker than a third midfielder.”
Will Ronaldo start?
The mystery surrounding Ronaldo’s involvement has now been resolved. Jorge Jesus has confirmed that Ronaldo will start against Wales, giving the Portugal captain the chance to lead the team into the new era from the first whistle.
“And if nothing special happens, Cris will play tomorrow from the start,” Jesus said. He has also described Ronaldo as “our symbol”, underlining the importance the veteran still holds within the national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal celebrates after scoring
Ronaldo enters the match with 146 international goals in 233 appearances, while the Wales fixture could become his 234th cap. He is also continuing his pursuit of 1,000 official career goals, with the latest figures putting him at 979 goals.
Portugal vs Wales: Projected lineup
Portugal projected XI (4-2-3-1): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Neto, B. Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo.
Wales projected XI (4-2-3-1): Ward; Williams, Cabango, Norrington-Davies, Dasilva; Ampadu, James; Brooks, Thomas, Johnson; James.
