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Portugal’s stars have hit back at claims they’re spending too much time on the beach relaxing ahead of their World Cup opener.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co begin their campaign against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday.
And in the lead-up to the Group K fixture, Portuguese media have questioned whether use of the beach at their base in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, shows they’re taking preparations too easily.
But Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes bit back when presented with those criticisms at a press conference.
On Tuesday he said: ‘Spending a lot of time on the beach is a deliberate part of our preparation.
‘We go to the beach in the mornings to get used to the climate. That seems perfectly normal to me. For example, I played football in Manchester all year round and there is very little sun there. A huge difference compared to the conditions here.
Ruben Dias was among the Portugal players seen sunning himself in the heat
Joao Felix enjoys a dip at the Four Seasons Palm Beach resort where Portugal are staying
‘The impression should not be given that we spend more time on the beach than training. As I said: we go to the beach in the mornings and do our normal training sessions in the afternoons.’
Every country is taking time to acclimatise to scorching hot conditions in the USA and photos showed Roberto Martinez’s men enjoying their down time in the water.
Bernardo Silva, another more accustomed to the rain of Manchester, was seen walking along the sand with team-mate Goncalo Guedes, as was Ruben Dias.
Joao Felix was another to take a dip with other guests at the resort, which has a designated section of beach.
A number of other players including Francisco Trincao relaxed on sun loungers at the Four Seasons.
Portugal arrived at the World Cup later than many other teams in the competition, touching down last Friday.
And even though the scenes of tranquil beach afternoons have been a regular occurrence, not every aspect of the squad’s adaptation has been stress-free.
The Touchmine reported that some players were reluctant to leave their hotel rooms after at least four alligators were seen near their practice facilities.
Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves, Francisco Trincao, Ricardo Velho and Diogo Dalot unwind
Bernardo Silva and Goncalo Guedes stroll along the beach earlier this week
Portugal’s HQ is in an 82-acre facility and the wildlife came as a shock despite being relatively normal for locals.
The heat will be a factor in all of Portugal’s group games and they’ll face Uzbekistan in Houston before returning to Miami against Colombia on June 27.
All eyes will be on whether Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, can achieve a fairytale ending in his final World Cup.
When asked about his condition ahead of the tournament, the Portuguese talisman said: ‘
Dias is seen smiling in the water while having a swim to cool off in the Atlantic
‘Physically? I’m fine – have you not seen my matches?
‘It has been good but tiring because we’ve worked hard.
‘We’ve had the upper hand in our matches, but what matters most is when the ball starts rolling on the 17th, in the first game, and then when the pressure really starts to mount – that’s when we’ll see the true champions.’
