Jorge Jesus Set to Lead Portugal National Team After Martínez
Portugal is turning the page. With Roberto Martínez out after a brutal late defeat to Spain at the 2026 World Cup, Jorge Jesus is poised to become the new national team coach, ushering in a fresh and far more combustible chapter.
The move, reported by Portuguese daily “A Bola,” comes in the immediate aftermath of Portugal’s elimination in the round of 16. Spain struck deep into stoppage time through Mikel Merino, a 1-0 blow that not only ended a World Cup run but also closed Martínez’s cycle in charge.
From Saudi Arabia to Seleção
Jesus arrives on the scene as a free man. His spell in Saudi Arabian football has just ended, and, according to the report, he has quickly emerged as the consensus choice inside Portuguese football to lead the next cycle.
The plan is straightforward: a meeting between Jesus and Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), is expected in the coming days, once the Portuguese delegation returns from the United States. That conversation should seal the agreement and formalize the handover.
For a federation still reeling from a late knockout blow, there is little appetite for a long search. Jesus brings a clear identity, a demanding personality and a reputation for imposing structure and intensity on talented squads. Portugal’s current generation fits that profile.
Martínez bows out after late heartbreak
The end for Martínez arrived not with a slow fade, but with a single, punishing moment. Portugal and Spain had fought out a tight, balanced contest in the round of 16, only for Merino to find the winner in the dying seconds of stoppage time.
Minutes later, Martínez faced the cameras and confirmed what many already suspected.
“It is the end of the cycle. It is important now to have that again, and it is legitimate for the president to choose his national team coach. I am grateful for all the support they gave me,” he said at his press conference, making his farewell official.
His departure closes a chapter that never quite matched the richness of the squad at his disposal.
A talented squad, an uneven World Cup
Portugal arrived at the 2026 World Cup with one of the most gifted groups in its history. Depth in every line, match-winners across the pitch, experience blended with youth. The campaign, though, never fully settled.
The group stage told the story. They opened with a draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a result that immediately raised eyebrows. A resounding win over Uzbekistan briefly restored order and confidence, only for a goalless draw with Colombia to leave them second in the group and short of real momentum.
The knockout rounds brought a flicker of the resilience expected from a contender. In the second round, Portugal came from behind to beat Croatia in a bruising, highly contested match, a performance that hinted at a late surge.
Spain extinguished that idea. The round-of-16 clash was tight, controlled, and cagey, decided only in the final moments. One lapse, one header, and a World Cup run was over.
A new cycle, a familiar fire
Now the focus turns to what comes next. Jesus, long known for his demanding standards and sharp tactical edge, steps into a dressing room stacked with quality but still searching for a true collective identity on the biggest stage.
Martínez leaves with gratitude and a sense of unfinished business. Jesus, if the deal is confirmed as expected, walks into a national team that has the tools to challenge anyone.
The question is no longer whether Portugal has the talent. Under Jorge Jesus, it will be whether that talent can finally be harnessed into a ruthless, tournament-winning machine.
