Portugal’s women’s national football team secured a historic 2-1 upset victory against the United States early Friday, marking their first-ever win against the global powerhouse.
The win, achieved in a friendly match in Chester, Pennsylvania, came in Portugal’s 12th encounter with the U.S. squad.
The United States, reigning Olympic champions and ranked second globally, took an early lead with Rose Lavelle scoring just 31 seconds into the game.
Portugal rallied, with Diana Gomes finding the equalizer in the 41st minute.
Fátima Pinto then delivered the winning goal in the 72nd minute, following a corner kick from Kika Nazareth.
This victory breaks a long-standing record for Portugal, which had previously registered 10 losses and one draw against the Americans, never scoring a goal in those matches.
Their only prior non-loss against the U.S. was a goalless tie at the 2023 World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.
The win also ends a difficult period for the Portuguese side, which had been on an eight-game winless streak and had secured only one victory in its past 10 matches in 2025.