England announced themselves as serious European contenders on Wednesday night with a performance at Wembley that was, at its best, the most cohesive and compelling seen under Gareth Southgate's tenure. Portugal, ranked third in the world and unbeaten in 14 matches, were made to look ordinary in a first half that stretched their defensive shape almost to breaking point.
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with the kind of goal that has become his signature — arriving into the box on a diagonal run, meeting a Saka cross at the far post and finishing low across the goalkeeper with complete authority. The Wembley crowd of 86,423 had barely recovered from the noise when the same combination nearly produced a second, Saka's left-footed shot flashing an inch wide.
The second goal, when it came on 38 minutes, belonged entirely to Bukayo Saka. Picking the ball up 35 yards from goal after a Trent Alexander-Arnold interception, he drove at two defenders, cut inside on his right foot and curled a shot into the far top corner. It was a goal of exceptional individual quality, and the stadium was still buzzing when the halftime whistle sounded.
"Tonight we were everything I want this team to be. Brave, quick, together. That's the blueprint." — Gareth Southgate, England manager, post-match
Portugal's response
Roberto Martínez made three changes at the interval, introducing Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão and Vitinha in a tactical reset that gave Portugal more control in midfield. The second half was considerably more even, with England conceding possession and defending deeper. Jordan Pickford was called upon three times, producing his best save to tip a Leão header onto the crossbar with 20 minutes remaining.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41 years old and making what observers speculated might be his final appearance at Wembley, played 62 minutes before being replaced to a standing ovation from all sections of the ground. He had two glimpses of goal but found Pickford equal to both, and the night ultimately ended without the fairytale footnote his supporters had hoped for.
What it means for the qualifiers
England's next competitive fixture is their European Championship Group G qualifier against Scotland at Hampden Park on 15 May. On the basis of Wednesday's performance, Southgate will have a selection dilemma that most managers would envy — Phil Foden, who came off the bench for the final half-hour and was sharp throughout, pressing his claim for a starting role.
The question of Declan Rice's role alongside a deeper-lying partner also remains open. His partnership with Kobbie Mainoo looked fluid and intelligent in the first half but slightly overstretched in the second as Portugal's intensity increased. It is a problem, one England fan with a long memory noted wryly, that they have been lucky enough to have before.