Lisbon: The Portuguese national football team, led by star player Cristiano Ronaldo, observed a minute of silence yesterday for migrants in Europe, one day after pictures of a drowned Syrian toddler sparked horror at the growing crisis. Arm in arm, the team stood silently in a circle before training at the Coimbra da Mota stadium outside Lisbon.
“The brutality of the situation and the images we’ve seen have not left us indifferent,” said the Portuguese Football Federation in a statement. The photos of the Syrian toddler lying lifeless on one of Turkey’s top tourist beaches sparked a storm on social media and spurred global calls for action. Portugal will play France in a friendly match today, before travelling to Albania on
Monday for 2016 European championships qualifier.
