Portugal Holds 1st World Cup Practice at 82-Acre Palm Beach Gardens Base Camp

Q: As Ronaldo chases his final dream, can Portugal's talented squad finally deliver him the elusive World Cup trophy?

Yes — Portugal has a real chance, but it will depend less on Cristiano Ronaldo carrying them and more on the squad around him being good enough to finish the job. This is one of Portugal’s deepest and most balanced World Cup groups in years. They are ranked fifth by FIFA and widely viewed as a top-tier contender behind only a small handful of favorites such as France and Spain. Their midfield — Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and João Neves — is regarded by many analysts as among the best in the tournament, and the defense led by Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes and João Cancelo gives them the structure to compete deep into the knockout rounds. The key question is Ronaldo’s role. At 41, in what is expected to be his sixth and final World Cup, he remains a major scorer and a symbolic leader, but experts increasingly argue Portugal are strongest when he is used as an elite finisher rather than the center of every attack. His World Cup record is also mixed: he has never won the tournament, reached the semifinals only once, and all of his World Cup goals have come in the group stage. That means Portugal’s hopes may rest on whether coach Roberto Martínez can build a team that serves Ronaldo without becoming dependent on him. If Bruno Fernandes and the midfield drive the attack, and if Portugal stay healthy, they have the talent to win it. But they are still more credible as strong contenders than clear favorites.

3 articles · Updated · WPBF West Palm Beach · Jun 14

Saturday night marked Portugal’s first training session at North County District Park, the Palm Beach Gardens site serving as its World Cup base camp.
The squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo, arrived at Palm Beach International on Friday night, with practices closed to the public under tight security.
Palm Beach County, the city and the Palm Beach Sports Commission worked with FIFA and Portugal to prepare the facility, including game-ready fields and a media center.
Portugal opens Group K on Wednesday against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston, then faces Uzbekistan there before a June 27 match with Colombia in Miami Gardens.