National Team: Birthday Celebrations as One Player Undergoes Individual Training

PALM BEACH — Tomás Araújo was the sole absentee from Portugal's national team training session on Friday, just three days before their match against Uzbekistan. The Benfica center-back underwent a personalized training regimen on the pitch, separate from the main squad.

The session kicked off with a celebratory moment for Gonçalo Ramos: the PSG forward was celebrating his 25th birthday, and as tradition dictates, he had to endure the gauntlet of playful taps from his teammates. Cristiano Ronaldo even presented him with one of the resistance bands players use during muscle activation drills.

During the 15 minutes of training open to the media, the squad completed their customary jog around the field. Following this, players engaged in a ball-juggling exercise, keeping the ball airborne. The national team trained on a pitch equipped with five goals, perhaps hinting that finishing would be a key focus of the session, especially after their 1-1 draw with DR Congo, where they managed only one shot on target.