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Portugal vs Nigeria LIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted! (1-1)

Cristiano Ronaldo, in Leiria, will play against Nigeria his final friendly with Portugal ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Pedro Neto of Portugal celebrates scoring Portugal first goal.
© Carlos Rodrigues/Getty ImagesPedro Neto of Portugal celebrates scoring Portugal first goal.

Portugal will wrap up their preparations for the 2026 World Cup in Leiria, in what will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell in front of his home crowd before the tournament. Although Nigeria is not playing in the World Cup, it presents an interesting challenge to fine-tune Roberto Martinez’s team.

[Watch Portugal vs Nigeria in the USA on Fubo]

The Portuguese come off a 2–1 home victory against Chile as well, and they aim to arrive in the best possible form for what lies ahead. Facing an African side is always a major challenge.

There are just a few days left until Portugal’s debut in the biggest soccer tournament in the world, and the anxiety is eased a bit with this international friendly. You can follow it live, minute by minute, here on Bolavip!

70' - Portugal already deserves a second goal (1-1)

The hosts are trying to regain the lead, something that at this stage already feels deserved.

67' - Cooling break (1-1)

Second cooling break of the game!!

64' - Substitution for Portugal (1-1)

Cristiano Ronaldo came off, and Gonçalo Ramos came on.

60' - Several substitutions in Nigeria (1-1)

Abdullahi Bewene, Terem Moffi, Paul Onuachu, Frank Onyeka, and Zaidu Sanusi have come on, replacing Semi Ajayi, Christian Akpan, Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Moses Simon.

56' - Nigeria shows a different side (1-1)

The Green Eagles are a completely different team from the first half, no longer attacking as much.

52' - A breath of fresh air for Portugal (1-1)

The substitutions have given Portugal a new boost, as they look to extend the lead.

48' - Almost Portugal’s second goal (1-1)

João Félix hit the crossbar.

46' - Several substitutions for Portugal (1-1)

Several changes for Portugal: Francisco Conceição, João Félix, Tomás Araújo, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes, Rúben Neves, and Samú Costa have come on, while Diogo Dalot, Gonçalo Inácio, Rúben Dias, Nélson Semedo, Vitinha, João Neves, Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, and Francisco Trincão have been substituted.

45' - Second half is underway! (1-1)

The second 45 minutes of the friendly are underway, with CR7 on the pitch.

Half-time in Leiria (1-1)

Pedro Neto opened the scoring for Portugal, while Akor Adams equalized with a lethal counterattack.

A back-and-forth match with plenty of goal-scoring chances, far from resembling a friendly.

Stay tuned to the live minute-by-minute coverage here on Bolavip!

45'+3 - End of first half! (1-1)

Half-time. Portugal and Nigeria are level at 1–1.

 
 

45' - Added time is being played (1-1)

Three more minutes

43' - Little activity for CR7 (1-1)

In a match with plenty of attacking intent from Portugal, only a handful of plays have involved Ronaldo.

40' - Final minutes of the first half (1-1)

Final five minutes of an entertaining match.

36' - GOOOOOAL for Nigeria (1-1)

On the counterattack, Adams levels the score.

35' - The second goal almost arrives (1-0)

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a header that would have been the second goal.

32'- Semedo continues to be a threat (1-0)

Most of Portugal’s attacks are coming down the right flank.

After a free kick, Bruno Fernandes stung the Nigerian goalkeeper’s hands, who reacted well to make the save.

30' - Portugal gains confidence after the goal (1-0)

The hosts now take control of the ball after going ahead on the scoreboard.

27' - Game resumes (1-0)

The match resumes in Leiria. Portugal edge past Nigeria in a tight match by a narrow margin.

25' - Cooling break! (1-0)

The first cooling break of the match is underway.

22' - GOOOOAL for Portugal! (1-0)

Pedro Neto, assisted by Trincão, puts Portugal ahead.

20' - Strong challenge from Nigeria (0-0)

Despite being a friendly, the African side is not holding back in the challenges.

18' - Nigeria maintain the tempo (0-0)

Iwobi is the key for the Green Eagles, who are creating more chances than their opponents, though without much real danger.

15' - First 15 minutes (0-0)

After the first 15 minutes, Portugal and Nigeria are playing an interesting match.

13' - An uncomfortable match for Portugal (0-0)

Nigeria maintains control and prevents Portugal from moving forward.

8' - Cristiano Ronaldo misses the first chance (0-0)

Something unusual from him—Cristiano Ronaldo wasted a clear one-on-one chance. On the counterattack, Adams fired his shot wide.

7' - The pitch does not look to be in good condition (0-0)

At times, the ball bounces unevenly. Ibowi had the first chance with a weak shot that was saved by the goalkeeper.

5' - The flanks could be the key (0-0)

Semedo takes control of the right flank and looks to combine with his teammates. Nigeria also presses high.

2' - Portugal look to take control of the game (0-0)

With Cristiano Ronaldo as their leader, the hosts aim to take center stage.

0' - Game is underway! (0-0)

Portugal vs. Nigeria is underway. Follow the live minute-by-minute coverage with us here at Bolavip!

The national anthems are now being played in the stadium

With great respect, those present in the stadium listened to each of the national anthems before kickoff.

Nigeria absences

Pre-match warm-up movements

The teams continue their pre-match warm-up movements as they prepare for kickoff in Leiria.

Portugal starting eleven confirmed

Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Gonçalo Inácio, Rúben Dias, Nelson Semedo; João Neves, Vitinha; Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincao, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Maintaining the momentum

These are Portugal’s last five matches:

  • vs Chile, 2-1 (W) International friendly
  • vs USA, 2-0 (W) International friendly
  • vs Mexico, 0-0 (D) International friendly
  • vs Ireland, 0-2 (L) European qualifiers
  • vs Armenia, 9-1 (W) European qualifiers

Ideal temperature for a soccer match

At kickoff time, a temperature of around 68°F is expected, with completely clear skies.

The final thirty minutes before kickoff

Portugal’s presentation in front of their home fans is about to begin, and you can follow the live minute-by-minute coverage here on Bolavip!

The start of the match is slowly approaching

Very gradually, the Estádio Municipal de Leiria is filling with atmosphere, while the home crowd gathers to see off their players ahead of the World Cup.

Nigeria's XI for today’s clash

Coach Éric Chelle has decided to field this starting XI against Portugal.

Maduka Okoye; Christian Akpan, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi; Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru; Tochukwu Nnadi, Akor Adams, Moses Simon.

All-time record for Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo will play in his sixth World Cup, joining Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa as the only players to achieve this milestone.

Nigeria will watch the World Cup as a spectator

While fighting for their last chance to reach the World Cup through the African playoffs, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo and missed out on their final opportunity to qualify.

Home shirts are ready in the dressing room.

Portugal will wear their traditional home kit. Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the captain’s armband.

Are Portugal a contender for the title?

Many, including Germany’s Toni Kroos, consider Ronaldo’s Portugal among the favorites for the 2026 World Cup due to the amount of talent in their squad.

Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, and also Germany are teams expected to push deep into the tournament.

All eyes on the World Cup for Portugal

Once this match is completed, Portugal turn their full attention to the upcoming World Cup. The team is part of Group K alongside Colombia, DR Congo, and Uzbekistan.

Head-to-head between Portugal and Nigeria!

The only previous meeting between the two teams dates back to November 17, 2022. In an international friendly, Portugal defeated Nigeria by a 4–0 scoreline.

Kickoff time!

The match is scheduled to kick off at 3:45 PM (ET).

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing?

While awaiting official confirmation of the starting lineup, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play against Nigeria in his farewell appearance before his home crowd ahead of the World Cup.

Referees confirmed!

The referee appointed to officiate Portugal vs. Nigeria is Spanish official Mateo Busquets Ferrer. His assistant referees are Iñigo Prieto and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso, while Gustavo Correia serves as the fourth official.

The VAR is overseen by Valentín Gómez, with Raúl Martín González Francés serving as the AVAR.

Venue and how to watch!

The match will be played at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, also known as Estádio Municipal de Leiria, which has a capacity of nearly 24,000 spectators.

In the United States, the match can be watched on FOX Soccer Plus. For streaming, it will be available via Fubo and ViX.

An interesting match between Portugal and Nigeria

Welcome to a new live blog here at Bolavip! On this occasion, Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo host Nigeria at home in their final friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

You can follow the live minute-by-minute coverage so you don’t miss a single detail of everything that happens in the match.