Roberto Martinez: We Started Preparing for the Colombia Match in March

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has dismissed concerns about his team's preparation for their World Cup group stage finale against Colombia on Saturday, insisting that months of planning have left them "perfectly ready," despite the Florida storms that disrupted their training.

Martinez stated that his squad benefited from beginning their preparations for the Miami Stadium clash as early as March.

“We started preparing for the match against Colombia back in March… We’ve already had 13 training sessions here in Miami to adapt to the weather,” Martinez said at a press conference.

“The plan was to stay in Miami to prepare for the match against Colombia. The players are ready for the physical challenge of playing in a different stadium and on a different pitch, which has different grass from what we have in Europe. That’s what we’ve done; we’ve been preparing since the first day we arrived in the USA,” he added.

Martinez acknowledged that Portugal would face their first “away from home” match due to the massive fan support expected for Colombia in Miami, where tickets for the showdown are selling for thousands of dollars.

“That means I had to buy tickets for my family in November. I hope tomorrow football wins and the inspiration of everyone watching the match prevails,” Martinez joked when asked about the fans' dedication.

Colombia has already secured their spot in the knockout phase with 6 points from two matches, while Portugal sits second with 4 points. A second-place finish could lead to tougher opponents for the “Seleção” in the next round, including England or Croatia.

Martinez, who was in good spirits and even laughed when Dua Lipa songs played from the loudspeakers, interrupting his press conference, said he never concerns himself with planning results or opponents.

“No, it doesn’t matter. If this were my first World Cup, I would say ‘yes,’ because you’re inexperienced and you try to plan the path, every possible scenario, but you realize that’s not realistic. I believe the focus should be on winning every game, forgetting about the next opponent, and respecting the opponent. If you want to win the World Cup, you have to beat everyone,” he commented.

Martinez warned that Nestor Lorenzo’s Colombia would present a different tactical challenge.

“They have players like James Rodriguez, Luis Suarez, and Luis Diaz… They transition well and are very fast. They work as a team, they have tactical clarity. There is quality in the players, and they love being part of the national team,” the coach concluded.