'No Fear': Jordan James Vows Wales Will Stand Tall Against Portugal's Superstars

Wales will head into Thursday's Nations League A opener against Portugal as clear underdogs — but midfielder Jordan James has delivered a defiant message: the Dragons will not be overawed, no matter how daunting the opposition looks on paper. Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the curtain-raiser, James insisted a depleted Welsh squad will show no fear when they line up against what he called "the best players in the world." For a young midfielder still establishing himself on the international stage, it is a fixture to relish rather than dread. And daunting it certainly appears. Portugal arrive as the reigning Nations League champions, boasting a squad that reads like a roll call of the modern game's elite — Cristiano Ronaldo still defying the years, Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings, Bernardo Silva gliding between the lines. Few fixtures in European football will test Wales' credentials quite like this one. The visitors, by contrast, make the trip stretched thin, with key personnel unavailable and Craig Bellamy forced to patch together a side from the talent at his disposal. Yet James believes those absences should breed opportunity rather than anxiety, with every player in the camp desperate to prove they belong at this level. There is a conviction running through this Wales squad that fixtures like these are precisely what the team needs. With the expanded 48-team World Cup looming in the summer of 2026 — co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — opportunities to measure themselves against the world's elite will shape just how ready Welsh football is for the biggest stage of all. Nations League A status guarantees exactly that: heavyweight opposition, high stakes and nowhere to hide. For a generation of Welsh players who grew up watching their heroes reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016, the challenge now is to carve out their own history against the very best. Whether Wales can spring a surprise against Portugal is another question entirely. Football does not often reward bravery alone, and the gulf in resources between the two nations is undeniable. But the tone coming out of the Welsh camp is unmistakable: Portugal will be shown respect, but fear will play no part in the occasion. James' message, delivered with the confidence of a player unburdened by the weight of expectation, sets the tone for what Wales hope will be a campaign to remember. The best players in the world are coming — and Wales, depleted or not, intend to stand toe to toe with them. Source: BBC Sport