Portugal beats Chile in friendly but loses Leao to red card

Portugal dominated Chile 2-1 on Saturday in a friendly warm-up for the 2026 World Cup, but the win came with a setback: Rafael Leao was sent off just before half-time after an altercation with Chilean player Ivan Roman.

During the first half, Roberto Martinez’s side controlled proceedings with 70% possession and nine shots on goal, but failed to break through against a Chile team ranked 54th in the FIFA rankings. The match turned at the 47th minute when Leao and Roman, involved in a scuffle following a clash between two other players, both received direct red cards from the referee.

After the break, Portugal made six changes, including replacing Cristiano Ronaldo with Gonçalo Guedes. It was precisely the former PSG forward who opened the scoring in the 58th minute, set up in depth by Ruben Neves — his first goal for the national team since 9 June 2022. Bruno Fernandes then extended the lead with a long-range strike in one touch to make it 2-0 in the 75th minute.

Chile salvaged some pride in added time through Lucas Cepeda (90+2), reducing the deficit to 2-1. Portugal will play its final warm-up match on 10 June against Nigeria. The length of Rafael Leao’s suspension remains to be determined.