With Patriots training camp open only to season ticket members on Sunday, the practice fields at Gillette Stadium were filled with some of the organization's most passionate fans.
That includes brothers Eduardo and Gonçalo, who traveled all the way from Lisbon, Portugal.
"It was a seven-hour flight," Eduardo told Patriots.com.
The boys made a homemade poster with a big Portuguese flag to share their journey, catching the eye of many players who stopped to autograph their sign after practice.
The trip to New England was a long time coming for the boys and their father.
"Our family has a good connection to the United States because many of our relatives have moved here, and they came to Boston," Eduardo explained.
"It's been a while since we've been able to come here -- not since 2019 before the pandemic. It's been five years since we came here last but we love the city and really became fans of all the sports teams."
Almost every year, their large family reunites, alternating between the United States and Europe.
One fateful summer in 2017, a family member brought them to watch the Patriots train and they were hooked.
"In 2017 we came here and it was our first time at the stadium," Eduardo said. "That's when we got into watching the Patriots, and when we went home to Portugal, we watched a few films and videos about the team. We got interested and now every time we can watch we do."
Despite staying up all night to watch Patriots and Celtics games, the boys have never been to a game, as they only come to Massachusetts in the summers.
They're hoping that changes one day when they're done with school, but for now, Sunday helped them get up close and personal with their favorite NFL team.
