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Monday morning, June 29, Palm Beach, Florida. 48 year old Ricardo Carvalho was still placing marker cones on the turf. Hours later, he had to go to the airport. His father, Manuel Ribeiro de Carvalho, had passed away at the age of 69.
On the morning of Monday, June 29, in Palm Beach, Florida, 48-year-old Ricardo Carvalho was still placing marker cones on the turf. A few hours later, he had to go to the airport. His father, Manuel Ribeiro de Carvalho, had passed away at the age of 69.
The football federation's PR machine operated as usual. The official statement was impeccably crafted, and the entire team observed a minute of silence with heads bowed at the temporary training ground. President Pedro Proença wrote a tribute on Facebook, tagging it "Seremos sempre 28+1." This was originally a team-building slogan used by the federation to placate sponsors, meaning 28 players plus one collective. Forcing it onto an assistant coach who had just lost his father reeked of the plastic feel of a PR department rewriting copy overnight. The official Instagram account followed up with "Estamos contigo," garnering 81,000 likes and 364 comments.
Cristiano Ronaldo walked up and hugged Carvalho. The two had entered the national team together in 2003, one going to Manchester United and the other to Chelsea. They never played together at the club level, but spent 20 years in the national team. They lifted the trophy together in 2016, and now one wears the armband and gasps on the field, while the other draws tactical boards on the bench. This was the only action on the training ground that needed no translation.
Carvalho departed for home that same day. The time and location of the funeral were not disclosed.
His contract with the federation expires on July 31. Head coach Roberto Martínez has confirmed he will leave after the World Cup, and the termination dates for both men's contracts fall on the same day. From his entry into the coaching staff on March 13, 2023, Carvalho's tenure as assistant coach spanned just over three years.
Portugal managed only 5 points in three Group K matches. A 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a 0-0 stalemate with Colombia, and a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan—saved only by Cristiano Ronaldo's brace—allowed them to advance as group runners-up. In the Round of 32, they face Croatia. The match is scheduled for July 2 at 23:00 GMT at BMO Field in Toronto.
Flying from Palm Beach back to Portugal and then back to Toronto leaves less than three days in total. The federation's statement made no mention of whether he could make it for the game against Croatia, nor did it specify how Martínez would adjust his coaching staff. As of July 1, there was no news of Carvalho's return to the team, and not a single word was found in the transcript of Martínez's pre-match press conference.
If they lose on July 2, that morning in Palm Beach where he placed the marker cones will be Carvalho's last full training session as Portugal's assistant coach.
On the bench in Toronto, the folding chair assigned to him will likely remain empty.