The Latvian national futsal team put up a brave performance in their second friendly against world powerhouse Portugal, scoring twice but ultimately falling 2-5 to the two-time European and former World Champions.
Latvia, one of the host nations for the upcoming UEFA Futsal Euro 2026, faced the star-studded Portuguese side for the second time in three days. On Sunday, the visitors had claimed a 3-1 victory with all goals coming in the first half – Sergejs Motiļs scoring Latvia’s only goal. This time, Latvia managed one more but still came up short against the team ranked second in the FIFA futsal rankings.
There was one notable change for Latvia as 21-year-old goalkeeper Rainers Mūrnieks (Riga Futsal Club) started between the posts after an impressive second-half showing in the first match. But his clean sheet ambitions were dashed almost immediately – just 22 seconds in, Bruno Maior danced past his marker and fired home from close range to make it 1-0 for Portugal.
The visitors doubled their lead in the seventh minute when Afonso Jesus sent a perfect through ball to Diogo Santos, who blasted into the top corner. Moments later, Edmilson Sá made it 3-0 with a stunning solo effort, powering through the defense and finishing from a tight angle.
Latvia responded well after a timeout and pulled one back thanks to a beautifully executed power play. Mūrnieks initiated the attack with a long ball to Germans Matjušenko, who squared across goal for Miks Babris – the player plying his trade in Portugal’s top futsal league – to tap home for 1-3.
However, Portugal restored their three-goal cushion late in the first half through David Afonso, who showed exceptional individual skill – beating his defender, rounding Mūrnieks, and finishing coolly. A fifth goal before the halftime whistle made it 5-1 to the visitors.
Latvia tightened up defensively in the second half, showing more discipline and energy. Their efforts paid off when Edgars Tarakanovs, last year’s Latvian Futsalist of the Year, unleashed a powerful long-range strike to reduce the deficit to 2-5. Sergejs Motiļs came close to adding another, but fired narrowly over from close range.
While Latvia “won” the second half by keeping Portugal scoreless, the overall aggregate from both friendlies – 1-3 and 2-5 – underlined the gulf in experience between the sides. Still, these games provided valuable preparation ahead of the Futsal Euro 2026 draw, which will take place this Friday at 12:00 (Baltic time).
Latvia vs Portugal – 2:5 (1:5)
Goals: Babris, Tarakanovs
