Jordan James: Wales have no fear before Portugal opener
Wales midfielder Jordan James says Wales will have "no fear" when they walk out in Lisbon to face Portugal on Thursday.
The tie on 24 September is Wales' opener in League A of the Nations League, the top tier of UEFA's competition that splits national teams into divisions with promotion and relegation, according to BBC Sport. It is a big step up. Wales won their League B group in 2024 to climb back among Europe's top-ranked sides.
Wales arrive short-handed. Defenders Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor are missing, while Karl Darlow, Nathan Broadhead and Harry Wilson have withdrawn from the squad. Craig Bellamy, the Wales boss, has freshened his backroom team for the campaign, bringing in former Wales captain Ashley Williams and former Swansea boss Alan Sheehan as assistant coaches.
Form offers little comfort. Wales had not won since November's World Cup qualifying victory against North Macedonia ahead of the Portugal game. James, the 21-cap Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, missed the June friendlies against Ghana and Romania through injury and is now back in the squad.
Portugal provide a stern first test. They went out of the summer's World Cup with a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the round of 16. Against Spain they started Joao Neves and Vitinha at the base of midfield, the deep-lying pair tasked with protecting the defence, with Bruno Fernandes playing in front of them. Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, remains the headline name with 146 international goals across 23 years.
James is not daunted. He pointed to Wales' 2-1 win over a Croatia midfield of Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic in October 2023 as proof that Wales can live with elite opposition.
What makes this stand out is the memory Wales carry into these nights. A packed Cardiff night against Croatia, a promotion sealed last year, a young squad learning together. That shared history travels well.
Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Wales make up League A Group A4 in the 2026/27 Nations League, the fifth edition of the tournament, according to UEFA. The league phase runs from September to November 2026. For Wales, it starts with two away games in four days, in Portugal on 24 September and then in Denmark on 27 September.
No fear, then. Just a loud away end in Lisbon and a chance to set the tone.
