Portugal edge England to lift Federation Cup as Ronaldo Jr. makes appearance | OneFootball

Portugal’s Under-16 side clinched the 2025 Federation Cup on Tuesday morning with a 2-1 victory over England, as Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. came off the bench to feature in the final moments.

The win sealed a perfect record for the young Seleção, who triumphed in all three of their matches in the tournament.

It was Rafael Cabral who stole the headlines, netting both goals for the Portuguese to dash England’s hopes of silverware.

The contest pitted two contrasting styles against one another: England sought to dictate tempo through quick transitions and high-tempo pressing, while Filipe Ramos’ disciplined Portuguese outfit focused on defensive solidity and incisive counter-attacks.

Portugal drew first blood after just eight minutes. A momentary lapse in England’s back line allowed Cabral to pounce, collecting the ball on the right before coolly slotting past the goalkeeper.

England rallied in search of an equaliser, but their efforts were undone just before the half-hour mark when Cabral struck again. Finding himself in space, the forward doubled Portugal’s advantage with a composed finish to cap off a superb first-half performance.

The young striker had a chance to complete his hat-trick early in the second half, but his penalty was well saved by Lucca Benetton, who guessed correctly and parried the effort. That miss gave England renewed hope, and they reduced the deficit through Reggie Watson, whose thunderous free-kick took a slight deflection before finding the net.

Despite mounting late pressure from the Three Lions, Portugal held firm to secure the win — and the trophy.