Neto starts Portugal’s 4-1 home loss to Denmark as Estêvão is off before Japan beat Brazil
Two of Chelsea's senior internationals finished on the losing side on Saturday, with Pedro Neto in a heavily beaten Portugal side and Estêvão taken off before Japan's late winner against Brazil. Both have one more international game on Tuesday, and Neto's fitness matters with him leading Chelsea's attack.
It was a grim Saturday for Chelsea’s senior internationals. Portugal’s defeat by Denmark came in League A Group 4 of the Nations League. It was Portugal’s heaviest home loss in a competitive game, ESPN reported. The Matchday 5 fixture was played on Saturday 14 November.
Portugal are now without Cristiano Ronaldo, who no longer plays for the national team. His final appearance was a 1-0 Nations League home win over Wales on 24 September. Asked whether Portugal had missed him, head coach Jorge Jesus asked what there was to miss and noted that Ronaldo had made his decision.
Estêvão was gone before Japan turned the game late
Estêvão started for Brazil at the Singapore National Stadium and came close to scoring. Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki denied him. Alisson Santana replaced the Chelsea winger.
Japan had already struck twice through Takefusa Kubo in the 15th minute and Keito Nakamura in the 19th, the J.League’s official match record shows. Vinicius Junior pulled one back in the 33rd minute. He levelled in the 75th, after Estêvão had gone off. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto then won it for Japan in the 90+1 minute.
The night ended badly for Brazil. Captain Raphinha and head coach Carlo Ancelotti were both shown red cards in second-half stoppage time, just after the winner. For Estêvão, the limited minutes add to the debate over how much he plays under Alonso at Chelsea.
No new injuries leaves Neto ready for his false 9 role
The most important news for Chelsea is that no new injuries were reported. Neto is the club’s stand-in striker. With Joao Pedro injured, he has been playing as a false 9.
Geovany Quenda had been racing to be fit before the international break. Not getting on in Portugal means no new strain on his recovery, but also no match minutes.
Further down the age groups, the day was more mixed. Chelsea forward Chizaram Ezenwata scored the fourth goal from the penalty spot for England’s youth side. Chelsea’s own report describes it as a second win in a row in European Under-17 Championship qualifying. England Under-18s lost 3-0 to Sweden. Calvin Diakite, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Riley Ebho started that game, while Jashayde Greenwood and Gabriel Sambou came off the bench.
Neto and Quenda have one more Nations League game to come. Portugal finish their group away to Wales on Tuesday 17 November, the final day of the 2026/27 league phase. On Friday 20 November, at 12:00 CET, the pairings for the competition’s later rounds and its play-offs will be decided. Chelsea host Leeds United the following day, Saturday 21 November, at 15:00.
References
| Match Results & Data for Japan vs Brazil (FRIENDLY MATCH – 14 Nov 2026 (JST)) (J.League) |
| Portugal's post-Ronaldo era begins with heaviest-ever competitive home loss (ESPN) |
| Internationals: Neto and Estevao feature while Ezenwata scores for Young Lions (Chelsea FC) |
| 2026/27 UEFA Nations League: All the league phase fixtures and results (UEFA) |
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