Living in the Land of XL

PALM BEACH — Landing in the United States, one might initially believe that Hollywood exaggerates. Yet, after just two hours navigating Florida's avenues en route to Portugal's headquarters, it becomes clear that Tinseltown, in fact, offers a minimalist portrayal. Here, moderation is a foreign concept, lacking a visa for entry. Everything, absolutely everything, is designed on an unimaginable scale.

While in Europe we drive cars, locals here pilot veritable asphalt battleships; standard pickups are the size of trucks, and the motorcycles roaring at traffic lights resemble two-wheeled spacecraft.

It's the triumph of American gigantism, a life philosophy where size isn't just a detail, but a declaration of power.

This culture of excess extends to the dinner plate with a disconcerting caloric violence. Stepping into a Palm Beach restaurant for a quick lunch often means receiving a platter that could feed an entire Florida American football team.

Portions are monumental, steaks seem to defy the laws of physics, and even the most innocent small coffee or soda arrives in plastic buckets that demand two hands to manage.

There's an undisguised pride in this 'XL' aesthetic, an obsession with abundance that shocks newcomers and fascinates observers.

Even the way Americans communicate adheres to this hyperbolic standard. There are no hushed conversations; everything is projected with boisterous expressiveness, a vocal enthusiasm where every daily banality is heralded as if it were the discovery of gunpowder.

It is within this biblical landscape that our National Team will have to navigate in the coming weeks. Portugal, a nation shaped by detail and restraint, will need to maintain its identity amidst this whirlwind where ego and portion sizes compete for the same space.

To succeed in America, Roberto Martínez's squad doesn't need to consume XL portions, but they will need to play on the scale of this country: gigantic. Go Portugal!