The 42 teams that have already confirmed their qualification for the 2026 World Cup have started to announce plans for this summer’s tournament. Jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, this year’s World Cup is the biggest in history and the vast scale has left teams with some difficult logistical decisions.
The Portugal national team have two group stage games in Houston and one in Miami. In a bid to minimize disruption for players, the Miami Herald reports that Portugal have chosen Miami as their base for the tournament.
Although the team’s first two games are in Houston, the NRG Stadium is entirely indoor, meaning that the team will not need time to acclimatize to local conditions. Should Portugal progress deep in the tournament, an East Coast base in Miami will serve the team well given the location of the semi-finals and final.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Portugal coach Roberto Martínez explained the reasoning: “We have two games in Houston, but they are in an indoor stadium. So the idea is not to train in Houston, but in the conditions of the third game, which is against Colombia in Miami. It makes sense for our base to be in Miami and for us to go to Houston for the first two games, return, and train for the same conditions of the third game.”
Ronaldo’s Portugal in Miami
Although Miami appears to have been decided, it’s not yet clear which of the local facilities will be chosen. FIFA has published a list of potential training camp sites for qualified nations, with numerous options in Miami.
One potential candidate is the Gardens North Country District Park, which hosted Real Madrid during last summer’s Club World Cup. Likewise the facilities at Miami’s Barry University and the Nova Complex were also used during the Club World Cup.
A less likely option for Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Portugal team is the Florida Blue Training Center, home of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. The team’s practice facility was used by Borussia Dortmund at the 2025 Club World Cup but hasn’t yet been taken by a national team.
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