Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez officially stepped down from his position after his team's exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday.
Portugal were knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 1-0 loss to Spain in their round-of-16 clash in Dallas on Monday.
Martinez took over as the head coach of the Portugal football team in 2023 and guided the team to their second UEFA Nations League title in 2024-25.
He also guided Portugal to the 2024 European Championships with a perfect 100% record, winning all 10 matches in the qualifying campaign.
Portugal scored 36 goals and conceded just two in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024. Portugal reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 in Germany, where they lost to France via penalties.
This is not the first time Martinez has stepped down as the head coach of a national team. He had stepped down as Belgium's head coach following their group stage exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and opted not to renew his contract.
Roberto Martinez on stepping down as Portugal head coach
During the post-match press conference, Martinez said he did not see the point in continuing as Portugal head coach after having failed to take his team all the way at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
"I came to Portugal to win the World Cup, and I think that, without winning it, there's no point in continuing," he said. "The board and the president now have the opportunity to choose the new manager... my contract ends today. There isn't much more to say," the Spaniard added.
"I'm very proud. I've felt welcomed as just another Portuguese person, in a very warm way. It's been a pleasure, a source of pride and a responsibility," the 52-year-old explained.
Roberto Martinez on Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy
Martinez had words of praise for Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo, whose dreams of winning a FIFA World Cup title ended after the loss to Spain. "A word of thanks, because he was an exemplary captain," he said.
"Not just in terms of goals – the statistics speak for themselves – but also in terms of assists. It's his day-to-day commitment, the way he lives and breathes football. He's an example and something we must celebrate," Martinez explained.
Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening group stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That was a match to forget for Ronaldo as he failed to register a single shot on target and managed just 25 touches.
However, the 41-year-old bounced back to form by scoring a brace in Portugal's 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. Portugal wrapped up the group stage with a 0-0 draw against Colombia, before Ronaldo scored again to guide his team to the round of 16 with a 2-1 win over Croatia.
