Portugal Confirm Roberto Martinez Exit After World Cup Elimination

The Portuguese Football Federation has confirmed Roberto Martinez has officially stepped down as Portugal head coach following the country’s exit from the FIFA World Cup.

The announcement came on Wednesday, bringing an end to the Spaniard’s spell in charge after Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the last 16.

Martinez had already revealed after the match that he would not remain in the role beyond the tournament.

“The Portuguese Football Federation announces that it officially ended its contractual relationship with the national team coach, Roberto Martinez, and his coaching staff this Wednesday,” the FPF said in a statement.

The 52-year-old took charge of Portugal in January 2023 and guided the team to the UEFA Nations League title in 2025. His side, however, failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals at Euro 2024 after losing on penalties to France.

At the World Cup, Portugal finished second in their group after draws against Colombia and DR Congo and a commanding 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. They then beat Croatia in the last 32 before their campaign ended against Spain.

Martinez’s continued faith in Cristiano Ronaldo throughout the last two major tournaments attracted criticism, with BBC pundit Chris Sutton accusing the coach of “pandering” to the 41-year-old forward.

Explaining his decision to leave, Martinez said: “I came to Portugal with the objective of winning the World Cup and because I haven’t won it wouldn’t make sense to continue. My contract ends today.”

The Portuguese Football Federation also confirmed that the process of appointing a new head coach is already underway.