Roberto Martínez announced he will step down as Portugal head coach following Monday’s devastating 1–0 Round-of-16 defeat to Spain, bringing an end to a three-year tenure that fell short of the nation’s lofty expectations—though the Belgian insisted the early elimination does not constitute failure.
Substitute Mikel Merino’s 91st-minute header at AT&T Stadium sent Spain into the quarter-finals and sealed Portugal’s fate, while also marking the final World Cup appearance for 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Martínez, whose contract was set to expire after the tournament, confirmed in his post-match news conference that continuing “wouldn’t make sense” after back-to-back major tournament exits—following Portugal’s quarter-final loss at Euro 2024.
“Yes, this is my last game with the national team,” Martínez said. “I’m proud. I’ve had 45 games, and I felt welcomed in Portugal, and loved. It’s a memory I’ll take with me always. It was a pleasure, a source of pride, and responsibility. It’s hard, but it’s the end of a cycle and in the context it makes absolute sense.”
The 51-year-old, who previously managed Belgium for six years and led Everton, Wigan, and Swansea in the Premier League, took over Portugal in January 2023 following the departure of Fernando Santos. He guided the side through a seamless qualifying campaign for both Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup, but tournament pedigree proved elusive.
Portugal won 34 of his 45 matches in charge, yet their only silverware under Martínez was the 2023 Nations League title—a trophy that now offers scant consolation.
Portugal arrived in the United States as one of the tournament’s most fancied sides, boasting a midfield quartet of Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva, alongside Ronaldo’s enduring presence up front.
Yet they managed just three goals in four matches, and Martínez’s tactical tweaks—including a shift to a back-three in the knockout stage—failed to unlock Spain’s disciplined defence.
When pressed on whether the Round-of-16 exit represented a failure for a squad of such depth and quality, Martínez rejected the premise outright.
“We didn’t fail,” he said. “We lost a game, against a team that’s one of the favourites. We showed incredible individual talent. Winning or losing is about details in the big games, with big teams… You fail when you don’t try to win, and we tried to win until the last minute.”
He pointed to the fine margins that separate victory from defeat at football’s highest level, noting that Portugal struck the woodwork twice in the second half before Merino’s late dagger.
“It’s not just Portugal,” Martínez added. “There aren’t many countries that consistently get to the latter stages of World Cups. It’s very difficult to be consistent and qualify always. There are things that make the difference, like a ball that hits the woodwork. These are things that decide World Cups.”
The Portuguese Football Federation now faces the task of finding a successor ahead of the 2028 European Championship qualifying campaign. Early speculation has linked former Roma manager José Mourinho—a native Portuguese and current Fenerbahçe coach—with a potential return to the national set-up, though no formal approach has been made.
For Martínez, the immediate future remains unclear. He departs with a 75.5% win rate—the highest of any Portugal manager in history—but with a lingering sense of what might have been for a golden generation that exits another World Cup without silverware. Ronaldo, who walked off the pitch in tears, offered no comment on his own international future, but Martínez reserved one final tribute for his captain.
“Cristiano gave everything, as he always does,” the outgoing coach said. “His legacy is untouchable. Tonight hurts, but that doesn’t diminish what he’s given to this country.”
