Roberto Martínez steps down as Portugal head coach after World Cup exit to Spain

Roberto Martínez has officially confirmed his departure as Portugal’s head coach following a heartbreaking Round of 16 loss to Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A late header from substitute Mikel Merino in the 91st minute decided the tie at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The defeat also marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup journey at the age of 41. The iconic forward played the full 90 minutes but couldn’t find the equalizer. Martínez, who took over in 2023 after Fernando Santos, led Portugal for 45 matches, winning the 2025 Nations League. However, his tenure at major tournaments ended in back-to-back knockout exits — the Euro 2024 quarterfinals and now this World Cup last-16 elimination. Speaking after the match, the 52-year-old Spaniard confirmed the decision was his own. "Yes, this was my last game for the national team. I’m proud. I felt wanted and loved in Portugal. It’s a memory I will always carry. It was a pleasure, a source of pride and responsibility. It’s hard, but this is the end of a cycle, and in this context it makes absolute sense," Martínez said. He pushed back against the notion that the tournament was a failure. "We didn’t fail. We lost a game against a top favorite. We showed incredible individual talent. Win or lose comes down to details in big matches against big teams. Failure is when you don’t try to win — we tried until the last minute." On keeping Ronaldo on the pitch for the entire regulation, Martínez was firm. "When you need a goal, you cannot take Cristiano Ronaldo off. He can play 90 minutes without issue. He creates space in set pieces, he’s a threat in the box — it wouldn’t have made sense to sub him. If the game went to extra time, bringing on Gonçalo Ramos would have been logical."