In a pre-tournament friendly tune-up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup held on Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal’s 2-0 victory over Chile was overshadowed by a first-half brawl that saw star forward Rafael Leão ejected from the match before halftime. The ugly confrontation unfolded after Leão took exception to what he perceived as a rough foul from a Chilean player, sparking a heated exchange between the AC Milan winger and Chilean center-back Ivan Román. Video footage from the match clearly captured Leão throwing a closed-fist punch at Román, who immediately responded in anger to the unprovoked strike. Referees acted swiftly, handing both Leão and Román straight red cards and dismissing them from the pitch just moments before the halftime whistle.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on track to tie the all-time record for most World Cup appearances with six tournament berths, started the match for Portugal but was substituted out during the halftime break. Ronaldo’s replacement, Portuguese winger Gonçalo Guedes, capitalized on his opportunity minutes into the second half, slotting home the opening goal to put Portugal in the lead. Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes extended Portugal’s advantage to two goals with a well-placed finish in the 75th minute, putting the match out of reach for the Chilean side. Chile managed to pull one goal back deep into stoppage time via a strike from Lucas Cepeda, but the late consolation was not enough to change the final result, leaving Portugal with a confidence-boosting 2-1 win ahead of the tournament.
Fernando Santos’ side has been drawn into Group K for the upcoming World Cup, where they will face off against Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Portugal will kick off their World Cup campaign against Congo on June 17, with the opening group stage match set to take place in Houston, Texas. The warm-up win gives Portugal a positive momentum boost ahead of the tournament, though the red card for Leão raises questions about his availability and disciplinary form heading into the opening match.