Roberto Martinez has given his strongest indication yet that he will step down as Portugal manager after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking ahead of Portugal’s opening match, the 52-year-old suggested his departure has already been discussed behind the scenes and that the World Cup was always intended as the natural end point of his tenure.
While he stopped short of confirming an exit, his comments made it clear that his time in charge is nearing its conclusion.
Roberto Martinez says Portugal exit is already a well-known topic
Martinez seemed surprised that speculation over his future was still being framed as breaking news, pointing out that the subject has been covered extensively within Portugal.
“It’s not news. We’ve talked about this many times in Portugal. Maybe it’s new elsewhere, but in Portugal we’ve discussed it a lot already. The focus remains continuing the work we’ve done over the last three and a half years.”
Martinez took over in January 2023 following his spell with Belgium. He has won 28 of his 40 matches in charge, drawn seven and led Portugal to the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League title.
His latest comments suggest that, whatever the outcome at the World Cup, his departure may already be decided.
Martinez says World Cup was always the end goal
Martinez also reflected on the original brief he was given upon taking the job.
“When I arrived in Portugal, the objective was to try to win everything possible every day, but above all to prepare for the World Cup.”
Now that the tournament has arrived, Martinez said the focus remains on the same goal.
“Now we are here, 40 matches later, after winning the Nations League, and the focus remains exactly the same: the World Cup is what matters.”
He also cited Portugal’s Nations League triumph as evidence of progress under his leadership.
“We won the Nations League, the most demanding edition yet. We played ten matches, advanced through the knockout rounds, defeated Germany in Germany, and then won the final against Spain. Those are significant achievements.”
Martinez finished by reiterating that talk of his exit does not feel like news to him.
“Naturally, people may see it as news, but for me it isn’t really news. It’s simply a fact, not a news story.”
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