"It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot," Craig Bellamy said after Wales were beaten narrowly in Lisbon by Portugal. Joao Felix's deflected strike decided it, but Bellamy was focused on what his side did have to take from the night rather than the result alone.
Bellamy's view of the performance
"I think that's the longest we've been in a game without the ball," Bellamy said, and the spells without possession were a clear part of why Wales were under pressure for so long. Wales were also missing Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Dylan Lawlor, Joe Rodon and Nathan Broadhead through injury.
Even so, Bellamy pointed to the finish. "We could have done more with the ball but I'm beyond proud as well," he said, after Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas both went close to snatching a draw. Bellamy also said, "There's more for us, so that's something we always look at as a positive."
Ronaldo and the Cardiff return
Portugal's story still ran through Cristiano Ronaldo. His goal was ruled out by VAR in Lisbon, and Bellamy said Ronaldo was "beyond dangerous, even at his age." He also noted that the effort would have been Ronaldo's 980th top-flight goal, while Portugal's 2026 run now reads 5 appearances, 453 minutes and 3 goals.
Bellamy added that he would "love to think" he gets another chance against Ronaldo, with Portugal vs Wales waiting in Cardiff in November.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
