KAZAN -- Portugal arrived in Russia on Wednesday night, with just short of 100 fans turning up outside the team hotel to welcome the team and, in particular, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Some locals even paraded a Portugal flag and behind the team hotel is a mural of the Real Madrid forward, although journalists weren't allowed to take photos on Thursday afternoon.
Portugal defender Bruno Alves struggled to outline what Cristiano Ronaldo means to his nation, but the respect his teammates have is clear.
"We don't have words to describe what he means to our country," new Rangers signing Alves said ahead of training on Thursday. "He's even an idol for us, the players. We immensely enjoy the way he represents Portugal."
The European champions are preparing for their Confederations Cup opener on Sunday against Mexico at Kazan Arena.
Alves said that it will be a difficult start against the CONCACAF representative, but added that Portugal have come to the tournament to win.
"The win in the European championship gave us a lot more confidence, but we have to demonstrate in the games that we have the ability to win," he said. "We've come here to prove that we can win."
Cedric Soares and Pepe, who had been practicing separately because they were not fully fit, joined the rest of Portugal's group in Thursday's session at Rubin Kazan's training grounds.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.