ALL THAT IN THE REST OF DETAILS COMING YOUR WAY IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, GUYS. DID YOU KNOW THE WORLD CUP IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY? PALM BEACH WILL SERVE A CRITICAL ROLE FOR TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TEAMS NORTH COUNTY DISTRICT PARK AND PALM BEACH GARDENS WILL BE THE BASE CAMP FOR TEAM PORTUGAL. THROUGHOUT GROUP STAGE PLAY, AND THEN ENGLAND WILL BE USING THOSE SAME FIELDS NEXT WEEK. AS THEY DO SOME TRAINING. THEY CALL IT THE PITCH SPORTS ANCHOR YIANNI KOURAKIS HAS MORE ON THE LOCAL EXCITEMENT. AS EVERYONE GEARS UP FOR THE WORLD CUP HERE AT GARDENS NORTH COUNTY DISTRICT PARK IN PALM BEACH GARDENS. THIS PLACE WILL HOST TWO OF THE TOP FOUR TEAMS IN THE WORLD FOR TRAINING COMING UP THIS WEEK. ENGLAND WILL BE HERE TRAINING AS THEY PREPARE FOR A COUPLE OF FRIENDLIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THEIR BASE CAMP, THOUGH, WILL BE IN KANSAS CITY, PORTUGAL, THE NUMBER FOUR TEAM IN THE WORLD, FEATURING INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR CRISTIANO RONALDO, WILL HAVE THEIR BASE CAMP HERE FOR A FEW WEEKS, STARTING IN MID JUNE. TIME IN BY MOUTINHO AND IN BY RONALDO. HE IS A SENSATION, DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE THEM FEEL SAFE AND AT HOME AND WELCOME WHILE THEY PREPARE TO. PALM BEACH GARDENS IS ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET FOR SOCCER’S BEST. WHICH MEANS FINELY MANICURED FIELDS AND 20,000FT OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES TO ENSURE THE PLAYERS HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED. SO OVER THERE, THAT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE OUR FUNCTIONAL GYM FOR THE PORTUGUESE NATIONAL TEAM. IT’S GOING TO HAVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE READY TO BE FIT ON GAME DAY. NOW, IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF RONALDO OR MAYBE EVEN SCORE AN AUTOGRAPH, JUST KNOW SECURITY WILL BE TIGHT AND TRAINING WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. THE PORTION OF DISTRICT PARK NOT USED BY PORTUGAL WILL REMAIN OPEN, AND THERE IS A SMALL INVITATION ONLY EVENT WHERE SOME WILL GET TO WATCH THE TEAM TRAIN PALM BEACH GARDENS AND PREDATOR SOCCER. GRATEFUL TO SHARE THEIR SPACE WITH SOME OF THE GAME’S ELITE, IT GROWS THE GAME. IT GROWS THE GAME IN THE TOWN. IT. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN IT. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE GET TO SHARE ESSENTIALLY OUR TRAINING SPACE WITH THEM. SO YEAH, WE’RE SO GRATEFUL, SO EXCITED, AND WE WELCOME THEM. AND PORTUGAL WILL LEAVE THEIR BASE CAMP HERE IN PALM BEACH GARDENS TO PLAY THEIR FIRST TWO GAMES IN HOUSTON AGAINST DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND UZBEKISTAN. THEN THEY CAN STAY IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THEIR FINAL GROUP STAGE GAME AGAINST COLOMBIA
Palm Beach Gardens set to host Portugal, England for World Cup training
Updated: 6:16 PM EDT May 29, 2026
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The World Cup is less than two weeks away, and Palm Beach County will serve a critical role for two of the biggest teams competing for soccer’s highest prize.North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens will be the base camp for team Portugal throughout the group stage portion of the tournament, while team England will be using fields next week as it prepares for two exhibition games in Florida prior to the start of the World Cup.”We are doing everything we can to make them safe, at home and welcome while they prepare,” said Palm Beach Gardens Predators coach Scott Wright.England is the third-ranked FIFA team, while Portugal is ranked number four, headlined by international superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.In preparation for the visit, Gardens has maintained pristine and manicured fields and helped erect 20,000 square feet of temporary structures to ensure the players have everything they need. “The City is honored to host a team with the profile and prestige of Team Portugal. The Gardens North County District Park is believed to be the only Team Base Camp (of 48 through the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) that is a municipally owned and operated facility. This is an incredible testament to the vision of City leadership to build, and dedication of staff to consistently maintain, a park of this caliber. The requirements to host a Team Base Camp, let along Team Portugal, go far beyond the finely-manicured pitches – nearly every City department plays a big role in creating suitable spaces for a team,” said a Palm Beach Gardens spokesperson. If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of Ronaldo or maybe score an autograph, just know security will be tight and training will be closed to the public. The portion of District Park not used by Portugal will remain open, and there is a small invitation-only event where some will get to watch the team train early on in their stay. Palm Beach Gardens and Predators soccer say they are grateful to share their space with some of the game’s elite.”It grows the game in the town. People are going to be interested in it and excited about it. We get to share, essentially, our training space with them. We are so grateful, so excited, and we welcome them,” said Wright. Portugal will leave Palm Beach Gardens for its first two games in Houston against DR Congo and Uzbekistan. The team can stay in South Florida for its third game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on June 27 against Colombia.”The primary purpose of the multipurpose pitches at The Gardens North County District Park has always been to serve recreational, youth sports leagues. When those leagues are out of season, the City seeks opportunities to host sport tourism events. Hosting events, like a multi-week training camp for Team Portugal, creates enormously positive ripple effects on the local economy. Hotel room nights of course, but some of the services required are less obvious, from transportation to laundry and drone services, and everything in between,” said the spokesperson. Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. —
The World Cup is less than two weeks away, and Palm Beach County will serve a critical role for two of the biggest teams competing for soccer’s highest prize.
North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens will be the base camp for team Portugal throughout the group stage portion of the tournament, while team England will be using fields next week as it prepares for two exhibition games in Florida prior to the start of the World Cup.
“We are doing everything we can to make them safe, at home and welcome while they prepare,” said Palm Beach Gardens Predators coach Scott Wright.
England is the third-ranked FIFA team, while Portugal is ranked number four, headlined by international superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
In preparation for the visit, Gardens has maintained pristine and manicured fields and helped erect 20,000 square feet of temporary structures to ensure the players have everything they need.
“The City is honored to host a team with the profile and prestige of Team Portugal. The Gardens North County District Park is believed to be the only Team Base Camp (of 48 through the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) that is a municipally owned and operated facility. This is an incredible testament to the vision of City leadership to build, and dedication of staff to consistently maintain, a park of this caliber. The requirements to host a Team Base Camp, let along Team Portugal, go far beyond the finely-manicured pitches – nearly every City department plays a big role in creating suitable spaces for a team,” said a Palm Beach Gardens spokesperson.
If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of Ronaldo or maybe score an autograph, just know security will be tight and training will be closed to the public. The portion of District Park not used by Portugal will remain open, and there is a small invitation-only event where some will get to watch the team train early on in their stay. Palm Beach Gardens and Predators soccer say they are grateful to share their space with some of the game’s elite.
“It grows the game in the town. People are going to be interested in it and excited about it. We get to share, essentially, our training space with them. We are so grateful, so excited, and we welcome them,” said Wright.
Portugal will leave Palm Beach Gardens for its first two games in Houston against DR Congo and Uzbekistan. The team can stay in South Florida for its third game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on June 27 against Colombia.
“The primary purpose of the multipurpose pitches at The Gardens North County District Park has always been to serve recreational, youth sports leagues. When those leagues are out of season, the City seeks opportunities to host sport tourism events. Hosting events, like a multi-week training camp for Team Portugal, creates enormously positive ripple effects on the local economy. Hotel room nights of course, but some of the services required are less obvious, from transportation to laundry and drone services, and everything in between,” said the spokesperson.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
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