Portugal’s FIFA World Cup 2026 preparations received an unexpected scare after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake off western Cuba sent tremors across parts of Florida, where Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates are training.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (Photo:Suman Chattopadhyay/IANS)
Portugal’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 received an unexpected scare after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck waters off western Cuba, with tremors being felt across parts of Florida, where the team is currently training.
According to Marca, the earthquake briefly unsettled Portugal’s training camp in Palm Beach Gardens, with captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates continuing their World Cup preparations despite the disturbance.
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The earthquake struck on Monday, with its epicentre located around 65 miles northwest of Mantua, Cuba. Tremors were reported across South Florida and were felt as far north as the Orlando region.
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The seismic activity also comes as England are stationed in Orlando, Florida, where they are set to face Costa Rica in a pre-World Cup friendly on June 10.
The FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, begins on June 11, with Florida scheduled to host seven matches during the tournament. The state’s first World Cup fixture will see Saudi Arabia take on Uruguay on June 15.
England head into the tournament after a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in their penultimate warm-up match on June 6.
Captain Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game, his 67th goal of the season, as the Three Lions comfortably saw off their opponents and continued their preparations for the World Cup.
Despite the unexpected interruption, Portugal’s preparations have been encouraging on the pitch. Roberto Martinez’s side defeated Chile 2-1 in a recent friendly, with Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes scoring the goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo featured in the first half before being substituted after the break, but Portugal maintained their attacking rhythm and controlled the contest.
Guedes broke the deadlock in the 58th minute before Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage with a well-taken strike in the 75th minute. Although Chile continued to battle, Portugal looked composed throughout, with players such as Diogo Dalot, Pedro Neto, and Joao Felix contributing to an impressive team performance.
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