PALM BEACH, Florida — Portugal is embracing its status as one of the favorites for FIFA World Cup 2026 but remains focused on taking the tournament one match at a time, midfielder Vitinha said on Saturday.Led by Cristiano Ronaldo and boasting one of the most talented squads in the competition, Portugal enters the expanded 48-team tournament among the leading contenders to lift the World Cup trophy for the first time.Despite the expectations, Vitinha insisted the players are concentrating solely on the task immediately ahead.”We have not talked about putting high pressure on our team,” Vitinha said. “All competitions are won by focusing on the present moment and not worrying about future outcomes.””What we can do is think game by game. We would love to win, and if we go through the group stage, we will go one game at a time.”Portugal opens its World Cup campaign against Congo in Houston on June 17.The midfielder also revealed that each player will carry a special tribute throughout the tournament after Portugal’s Prime Minister presented the squad with bracelets bearing their names and that of late forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in Spain last July.Jota, a regular member of the national team before his death, has also been included as an honorary squad member by head coach Roberto Martínez.”We have received this with a lot of love,” Vitinha said while displaying the bracelet.Portugal arrived in the United States on Friday and is based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for the duration of the tournament. The team received a warm welcome from supporters during its first training session, with Ronaldo leading the squad in applauding fans gathered at the training ground.With temperatures reaching around 32 degrees Celsius, Vitinha acknowledged that weather conditions could play a role during the tournament but stressed that all teams face the same challenge.”The weather conditions will very much affect how we play, but that is for everybody,” he said. “It is the World Cup. There are no excuses.”Portugal is seeking to add a first World Cup title to its European Championship triumph in 2016 and Nations League successes, with many viewing this tournament as one of Ronaldo’s final opportunities to capture football’s biggest prize.
PALM BEACH, Florida — Portugal is embracing its status as one of the favorites for FIFA World Cup 2026 but remains focused on taking the tournament one match at a time, midfielder Vitinha said on Saturday.Led by Cristiano Ronaldo and boasting one of the most talented squads in the competition, Portugal enters the expanded 48-team tournament among the leading contenders to lift the World Cup trophy for the first time.Despite the expectations, Vitinha insisted the players are concentrating solely on the task immediately ahead.”We have not talked about putting high pressure on our team,” Vitinha said. “All competitions are won by focusing on the present moment and not worrying about future outcomes.””What we can do is think game by game. We would love to win, and if we go through the group stage, we will go one game at a time.”Portugal opens its World Cup campaign against Congo in Houston on June 17.The midfielder also revealed that each player will carry a special tribute throughout the tournament after Portugal’s Prime Minister presented the squad with bracelets bearing their names and that of late forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in Spain last July.Jota, a regular member of the national team before his death, has also been included as an honorary squad member by head coach Roberto Martínez.”We have received this with a lot of love,” Vitinha said while displaying the bracelet.Portugal arrived in the United States on Friday and is based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for the duration of the tournament. The team received a warm welcome from supporters during its first training session, with Ronaldo leading the squad in applauding fans gathered at the training ground.With temperatures reaching around 32 degrees Celsius, Vitinha acknowledged that weather conditions could play a role during the tournament but stressed that all teams face the same challenge.”The weather conditions will very much affect how we play, but that is for everybody,” he said. “It is the World Cup. There are no excuses.”Portugal is seeking to add a first World Cup title to its European Championship triumph in 2016 and Nations League successes, with many viewing this tournament as one of Ronaldo’s final opportunities to capture football’s biggest prize.
