Portugal's World Cup squad arrives in Palm Beach wearing PM's bracelets that honour Diogo Jota

Arrival and fan reception

Portugal's squad reached Palm Beach, Florida late on Friday after an eight-and-a-half-hour flight from Lisbon. The arrival drew a crowd of Portuguese emigrants, local families, and a surprising number of Colombian supporters (around 20% according to Observador), who came to cheer for Cristiano Ronaldo even though Colombia faces Portugal in the group stage. Fans waved flags and held signs; some wore CR7 jerseys and said they would support Portugal because of the captain.

Matching bracelets and Diogo Jota tribute

All players are wearing identical bracelets given by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during a farewell meeting at São Bento. The bracelets carry the names of every squad member and a special dedication to Diogo Jota, the Portugal forward who died in a car accident last year alongside his brother André. Vitinha confirmed the gesture:

“When we met with the prime minister, he offered us this bracelet, made sure we could wear it on the field... with the name of all the players, plus the special name of Diogo Jota. He left it up to us whether to wear it and how. We received it with a lot of affection and we all chose to wear it.”

Team confidence without arrogance

At the press conference, Vitinha described Portugal as "candidates, no doubt" but not favourites, stressing that talent on paper means nothing without hard work.

“We are not naive; we know we have a team of great quality, with a lot of talent and players at huge clubs worldwide. Maybe we've never had a team like this. But that counts for nothing on paper.”

He added that humility, playing game by game, and total commitment are the necessary ingredients for success in the tournament.

Management and federation messages

Coach Roberto Martínez and FPF president Pedro Proença expressed calm confidence. Proença said the team would approach the competition "with humility, without arrogance," while the prime minister urged the players to enjoy the experience and not fear mistakes.

“I sincerely hope you have fun and enjoy this experience with joy, confidence and enthusiasm.”

First steps on the pitch

The team holds its first open training session on Saturday at 18:45 local time at Gardens North County District Park, followed by a press conference. Portugal's World Cup campaign begins with a group stage match against DR Congo, with a later fixture against Colombia set for Miami. The tournament runs until 19 July across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.