Portugal football team observes minute of silence for migrants

The Portuguese national football team, led by star player Cristiano Ronaldo, observed a minute of silence on Thursday for migrants in Europe, one day after pictures of a drowned Syrian toddler sparked horror at the growing crisi

Lisbon: The Portuguese national football team, led by star player Cristiano Ronaldo, observed a minute of silence on Thursday for migrants in Europe, one day after pictures of a drowned Syrian toddler sparked horror at the growing crisis.


Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C), forward Ricardo Quaresma (R) and defender Jose Fonte warm up during a training session at Coimbra da Mota stadium in Estoril. Pic/AFP 

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.

The Portugal team will play France in a friendly match Friday, before travelling to Albania Monday for a qualifying match for the 2016 European championships.

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