Join The Club
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez is reportedly set to leave his post when his contract expires at the end of World Cup 2026.
Martinez is in charge of Portugal at a second major international tournament after leading them to the quarter-finals of the European Championship in Germany in 2024.
The former Belgium boss is managing at the World Cup for the third time but his departure is understood to be imminent amid suggestions that the Portuguese FA had struck an agreement with Jose Mourinho before he was offered the chance to return to Real Madrid.
Play our free match predictor and win £1k
Martinez speculation mounts before Portugal’s World Cup 2026 opener
“Roberto Martinez is set to step down as Portugal’s manager at the end of the World Cup,” reported Sky Sports News on Tuesday, one day before Portugal begin their World Cup campaign against DR Congo at NRG Stadium.
With a host of records potentially waiting to be extended or broken by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal will then face Uzbekistan, also in Houston, and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium.
In a statement issued to the media and reported by the Mirror, the Portuguese FA (FPF) said: “The FPF and Roberto Martinez are focused exclusively on the World Cup. The federation and the coach are aligned on this matter, as they have publicly stated.”
Martinez, now 52, had an extensive career in England, Scotland and Wales before making the move into the international game.
Formerly a player for Wigan Athletic, Motherwell, Walsall, Swansea City and Chester City, the Catalan cut his managerial teeth during successful spells in charge of Swansea and Wigan.
He was appointed as the successor to long-time Everton manager David Moyes in the summer of 2013 and spent the next three seasons at Goodison Park before taking over the Belgium national team in the aftermath of their European Championship exit at the hands of Wales in 2016.
After a decade in international football, Martinez might be tempted to capitalise on the end of his time at the Portuguese helm by backing himself once more to perform in the club game.
If their manager does depart next month, Portugal face a big challenge. 41-year-old Ronaldo is expected to step aside after the World Cup, leaving Martinez’s potential successor all the negatives and positives that might come with that.
Finding the right candidate to fulfil that brief could prove tougher than it sounds with Mourinho now off the table. Taking Portugal into 2028 without their most-capped player and record scorer will be interpreted as a blessing by some possible successors and a curse by others.
In the meantime, Martinez and Portugal have work to do. They reached the last eight in Qatar four years ago but Portugal haven’t made it as far as the semi-finals since 2006. Eusebio scored in their previous semi-final before that.
