Storm in Florida: Portugal cancels training three days before World Cup

Extreme weather conditions forced Portugal to cancel its training session and press conference on Sunday in Palm Beach, Florida, three days before their first match of the 2026 World Cup against the Democratic Republic of Congo, scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The day had started well for the Seleção. Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix, Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva were among the players who had taken a few hours to relax on the beaches of Palm Beach, where Roberto Martinez’s squad had set up their base camp. But barely after swimming, the Portuguese staff learned of the cancellation of the day’s session as well as the press conference originally scheduled for 6 p.m. local time.

The cause: torrential rain and violent storms that struck the southeastern United States, making any outdoor activity impossible. This weather setback comes at a delicate moment for a team that has not yet played a single match in this competition.

It remains to be seen whether this unforeseen event will affect the Portuguese team’s preparation before their opening match. On Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo himself set the priorities in the AS newspaper: “The most important thing is the decisive match on June 17. That’s when we’ll see who the true champions are.”