Portugal U18 Women 0–1 Finland U18 Women | International Friendly
June 7, 2026 – 18:00 local time

Match Overview

Finland’s under‑18 women’s national team earned a hard‑fought 1‑0 victory over Portugal in an international friendly played on June 7. The lone goal came midway through the second half as the visitors capitalised on a defensive lapse. The result gives Finland a confidence‑boosting win ahead of the Nordic Championship, while Portugal will look to sharpen their attacking edge.

Key Moment

The decisive moment arrived in the 68th minute. A long ball from Finnish centre‑back Emma Korhonen was misjudged by Portugal’s goalkeeper Maria Costa as she came off her line. Finland striker Sara Mäkelä reacted first, nudging the ball past the stranded Costa and rolling it into the empty net from a tight angle. Portugal appealed for offside, but replays showed Mäkelä was level when the ball was played.

Tactical Story

Portugal enjoyed the majority of possession (57%) and created several half‑chances, but their final‑ball execution was inconsistent. Finland sat deep in a compact 4‑4‑1‑1 shape, forcing Portugal into wide areas where crosses were dealt with by the tall Finnish defence. Finland’s midfield duo of Liisa Haavisto and Anna‐Liisa Lehtonen closed down space effectively, disrupting Portugal’s passing rhythm. The Finns only needed one clear opening – and they took it.

Standout Players

Finland’s Sara Mäkelä was the obvious heroine with her goal and tireless pressing. Goalkeeper Sanna Mäkinen made a sharp save in the 81st minute to preserve the clean sheet. For Portugal, winger Beatriz Rocha showed flashes of flair, beating her marker on three occasions but finding no final connection.

Friendly Context

Both teams used the fixture as preparation for youth tournaments later this summer. Finland, traditionally strong at youth level, will be encouraged by their defensive organisation. Portugal will need to improve their conversion rate – they had 12 shots to Finland’s 5, yet failed to score.