Cristiano Ronaldo posted a photo with Georgina Rodríguez and their five children on Sunday, the caption simple: “Happy to be back home with my family.” By Monday morning he was at the City of Football in Oeiras, leading the opening training session with his usual run, the first lap of what Portugal hopes will be the longest journey in their history. He is 41. This is his sixth World Cup. It is, by any reasonable reading, his last. Portugal’s newspaper A Bola has put together numbers that tell their own story. Among all outfield players at this tournament, Ronaldo is the oldest. He has more international caps than anyone else here – 226. He has scored more international goals than anyone else – 143, against Messi’s 116. At 41 years and almost four months, he is still the central fact of this Portugal squad. ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup 2026 squads: Final player lists and rosters of all 48 teams Coach Roberto Martínez does not want anyone treating that as sentiment. “He scored 25 goals in his last 30 international games,” Martínez told journalists. “It is not right to say he is only in the squad for what he has done and not for what he is today.” He went further: “The hunger he has, the will to live the next day trying to improve – he is an example.” The message was clear. Ronaldo is not here as a farewell tour. He is here because he is still good enough. Martínez began his first World Cup training session at the City of Football in Oeiras on Monday with 23 players. The four absentees – Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha and Gonçalo Ramos – had earned their rest. The PSG quartet had just won back-to-back European titles with the Parisian club, the celebrations barely settled before the World Cup clock started. They will report on June 6, the same day Portugal face Chile in their first warmup at the National Stadium in Jamor. Four days later, a second friendly against Nigeria in Leiria, and then on June 12 the squad flies to the United States. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱. 🦾#VaiDarPortugal | #U21 pic.twitter.com/IBmMNy9bwC — Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 1, 2026 Their base during the group stage will be a resort in Palm Beach, Florida – ten minutes from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, A Bola reported. The property, originally opened in 1990 and extensively renovated before reopening in 2019, has 207 rooms designed around Palm Beach’s mid-century coastal style. Private beach, tropical gardens, two swimming pools, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Room rates during the tournament run from around €1,000 a night to over €8,000 for the larger suites. The resort has a reputation for handling high-profile visitors with discretion – royalty and Real Madrid players among previous guests. Portugal are in Group K alongside DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. Their opener is June 17 against Congo. There is a concern in the background – an Ebola outbreak in the DRC – that Martínez acknowledged without elaborating. It was notable enough to mention publicly. The dream, as Martínez framed it, is to reach New York on July 19 – the date and venue of the final. “In 2016 we won the European Championship, in 1966 we achieved third place, in 2006 we reached the semi-finals,” he said. “I believe 2026 will be the moment for Portugal to achieve what it deserves.” The squad’s average age is 28. When that number came up with federation president Pedro Proença, he smiled and said it was a good age to be a world champion.Story continues below this ad ALSO READ | Why Messi’s room number has Argentina dreaming of fourth star and his hamstring has them worried There is something else this squad is carrying. When Martínez was asked about Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward who died in a road accident earlier this year, he did not reach for careful words. “It was a traumatic and tragic moment. Diogo was very loved. I always have a smile in his memory. He is a force – a light that is part of what we have built.” Midfielder Rúben Neves, at the opening press conference, put it simply: “Sometimes you need to hold on to something to find extra strength in the most difficult moments. It can help us get where we want to go.”Story continues below this ad Ronaldo has been to five previous World Cups and left each one without the trophy. On Monday, he was first onto the training pitch.
Ronaldo posted a family photo on Sunday. By Monday he was first on the training pitch
