Portugal beat Fiji for its first Rugby World Cup win in 2023. The historic 24–23 victory came on 8 October 2023 in Toulouse, France, during the final match of Pool C.
Portugal, nicknamed Os Lobos, had appeared at the tournament once before, in 2007, but had never won a match. In 2023, the team drew 18–18 with Georgia before finally breaking through against Fiji. Portugal led late after tries from Raffaele Storti and Rodrigo Marta, while Samuel Marques converted the decisive score.
The result was dramatic for both teams. Fiji lost the match but earned a bonus point, which was enough to send them into the quarter-finals and eliminate Australia. Portugal’s win was therefore both a national milestone and one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. A common mix-up is Georgia: Portugal’s match against Georgia produced its first Rugby World Cup draw, not its first win.