Portugal beat Nigeria 2-1 with goals from Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceição, but Cristiano Ronaldo squandered a golden chance.
Published June 10, 2026
Portugal will be heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 win over Nigeria in their preliminary match, but striker Cristiano Ronaldo will have some regrets.
The 41-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was unable to add to his men’s international record of 143 goals despite being given a clear chance to break through with just the goalkeeper in both halves in Leiria on Wednesday.
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The five-time Player of the Year was given a starting spot against Portugal and was allowed to stay on the field longer than any other outfield player, being substituted in the 65th minute.
This will be Ronaldo’s record-tying sixth appearance in the World Cup.
Francisco Conceição, one of Portugal’s 11 substitutes, scored the winning goal in the 75th minute, cutting in from the right and firing a shot into the far corner.
Pedro Neto gave Portugal the lead in the 23rd minute. Nigeria, who had missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, scored the equalizer 14 minutes later through Akol Adams.
Portuguese coach Roberto Martínez made eight changes during the break in an attempt to give as many opportunities to his team as possible.
Portugal are in Group K at the World Cup, along with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uzbekistan and Colombia. They begin their match against the Democratic Republic of Congo next Wednesday in Houston, Texas, USA. The match will kick off at noon local time (17:00 GMT).
The win in Leiria follows a 2-1 friendly win against Chile.
Nigeria’s attention will now turn to their bid to qualify for the 2027 African Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles had rested key players Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in preparation for this match after a long season as a club team.
