The working visit includes checks at the three Portuguese stadiums proposed for the tournament, as well as visits to hotels and possible training facilities.

The programme began on Monday, 2 November, at Sporting’s Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. The delegation was due to visit Benfica’s Estádio da Luz on Tuesday before travelling to Porto for a visit to FC Porto’s Estádio do Dragão on Friday. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) is coordinating the programme and bringing together the organisations involved in the preparations.

The stadiums are only part of the review. SIC Notícias, reporting on the visit, said FIFA is also looking at possible team training sites, including the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy, the Estádio Nacional, Estádio do Restelo, Estádio do Real SC and Estádio Pina Manique. Hotel accommodation and the wider arrangements needed to host teams, officials and supporters are also on the agenda.

The visits form part of FIFA’s wider process to decide which candidate stadiums and cities will host matches. FIFA says its teams will assess each location’s readiness, operational plans and supporting infrastructure, and meet local and national authorities, stadium operators, transport representatives and accommodation providers. The final selection of venues has not yet been made.

After the first day in Lisbon, FIFA’s Events Operations Director Heimo Schirgi gave a positive assessment of the work underway. In comments shared by the FPF, he said the visit allowed the delegation to see what had already been done and discuss what still needs attention. He also highlighted cooperation between the Government, the federation, clubs and municipalities, saying the basic infrastructure was in place and that there was a willingness to make any changes required.

That does not mean the preparations are finished. The review is intended to identify what each location still needs to do to meet FIFA’s requirements. Lisbon Deputy Mayor Gonçalo Reis pointed to areas such as security, mobility, infrastructure and hospitality, while FPF coordinator António Laranjo said the federation’s role was to keep the different partners working together and ensure a consistent standard across the host cities.

Portugal’s three proposed stadiums sit within a much larger tournament plan involving Spain and Morocco. FIFA’s visits across all three countries are scheduled for November and December, and will help inform the final choice of venues. The number and type of matches assigned to each stadium will be decided later, once the host cities are confirmed and the match schedule is developed.

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