Portugal will host Wales in the UEFA Nations League at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Thursday, September 24, at 7:45pm local time (18:45 GMT).

Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portugal captain, addressed the media at the Portugal Football Summit on Wednesday. He claimed to be nervous but took centre stage, insisting he still has plenty to offer. Ronaldo has scored 979 career goals and is 21 short of the 1,000-goal milestone he openly targets.

Ronaldo said reaching 1,000 goals for Portugal would be "the icing on the cake" and "a beautiful story." He admitted he considered his international future after Portugal's World Cup exit but decided to continue after talks with the Portuguese FA and new coach Jorge Jesus. "If the manager doesn't count on me, I can leave today," he said.

Portugal won their second Nations League title in June 2025, beating Spain 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Ronaldo scored in the final, and Ruben Neves converted the winning spot kick.

Wales have suffered several injury withdrawals: Harry Wilson, Nathan Broadhead, and Karl Darlow have left the squad, replaced by David Cornell, Joe Taylor, and Charlie Savage. Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor, Rubin Colwill, and Isaak Davies also missed out initially.

The last meeting between the sides was 10 years ago, when Portugal won 2-0 in the Euro 2016 semifinal with goals from Ronaldo and Nani. Overall, Portugal have won three of the previous five encounters, while Wales have one victory.

Source: www.aljazeera.com