This was exactly the kind of opening Jorge Jesus needed: a win, a clean sheet and just enough evidence that Portugal can still grind out results when the margin is tiny. But it was also a reminder that this team, for all its talent, is going to have to be far more ruthless than it was here. A 1-0 victory over Wales is a decent start to a new era. It is not a signal that all the old problems have vanished.
Portugal changed coach after the World Cup of this summer, and Jorge Jesus chose continuity rather than upheaval. He made only one change from the World Cup round of 16 starting XI, keeping faith with the core of the side that had already carried the Seleçao to a European title in 2025 and a Ligue des nations triumph back in 2019. That is the sensible place to begin. It is also the safe one. At least for now, Jesus has decided that the best way forward is not a reset, but a refinement.
Joao Felix makes the difference
The decisive moment came in the 22e minute, when Joao Felix scored the only goal of the game. That is what separates a solid debut from a frustrating one: one clean finish, one clean result, no need for drama beyond the basic facts. Portugal controlled enough of the match to deserve the points, but not enough to feel comfortable about the bigger picture.
That is where Cristiano Ronaldo comes in. He had chances. He did not take them. In a match like this, that matters. For a player who said this season would probably be the last of his career, every missed chance adds a little more weight to the idea that time is tightening rather than stretching. Ronaldo remains capable of shaping games, but this was not one of those nights where he imposed himself on the scoreline.
Portugal did not need brilliance to beat Wales. It needed efficiency. Instead, it got a single goal and a familiar sense that the attack is still carrying more reputation than certainty. When the game is that tight, missed chances become a headline, not a footnote.
A useful debut, but nothing more than that
Jorge Jesus will take the result, and he should. A debut win is always the cleanest possible start, especially after a coaching change following a major tournament. But there is no reason to overstate what this was. Portugal won by one goal, and one goal leaves almost no room for comfort in a group phase that still demands regular authority.
The schedule now moves quickly. Portugal are due to travel to Norway on Sunday, then play in Denmark next Thursday, before meeting Erling Haaland again in Porto on 4 octobre. Those are the kinds of fixtures that expose whether a team is really stable or simply getting by on familiarity. Jesus has inherited a side with pedigree, not a side that can afford to be casual.
So yes, this was a good beginning. But it was also a warning. Portugal have the structure, the names and the history. What they must prove now is that they still have the edge to go with them.
