Portugal Under-17s Suffer Defeat in Elite Round Debut Against Italy

The Under-17 National Team began its journey in 2026 European Championship Qualifying Round 2 common defeat against Italy, 3-2in an intense encounter played in the Umbria region. Despite having started the match better and having achieved a two-goal lead in the first half, the Portuguese team ended up suffering a comeback in the second half, in a game marked by two different halves and an effective response from the Italian team after the break.

Portugal took the lead in the 11th minute, through Gustavo Guerrawho finished with a shot placed inside the area, after a long cross from the right by Nélio Batista. Just four minutes later, At 15, Afonso Ferreirinha increased the national advantage with a very quick move: received a long pass from Tiago Rodrigues, beat the Italian defender and goalkeeper and finished with class to make it 0-2.

The Italian response came at the beginning of the second half. Perillo reduced it in the 46th minute and, shortly after, at 51, Okon restored equality. In the final phase of the match, in the 75th minute, Landi completed the turnaround and fixed the result at 3-2 for Italy, penalizing the Portuguese break in the complementary stage and putting greater pressure on the following games in this decisive stage.

This result now forces the Seleção to react quickly in the remaining two rounds of the group, where only the first placed team guarantees direct presence in the final phase of the European Championship. The margin for error thus became practically non-existent for the team coached by José Lima.

The current Portuguese under-17 team presents a total change in relation to the team that won the European and world titles in the category last year. According to the official squads released by the Portuguese Football Federation, there is no player in common between the 2025 champions and the group currently in competition.

It is worth remembering that Portugal became European champion on June 1, 2025 and that, months later, on November 27, 2025, it also won the World Cup in the category, with a practically identical base. From one competition to another, 18 players from the European champion group remained, showing the stability of that previous winning cycle.