Roberto Martinez has ended his time in charge of Portugal (Image: Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Roberto Martinez has announced he will step down as Portugal head coach following his team’s World Cup elimination at the hands of Spain. Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time strike ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s tournament at the last-16 stage.
Martinez revealed that his contract had reached its conclusion after Monday evening’s loss to Spain. Without having secured the World Cup trophy, the Spaniard believes there is no justification for him to remain in post. The former Wigan Athletic manager guided Portugal to Nations League glory in 2025 but was unable to replicate that success in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Portugal struggled to impress during their North American campaign beyond a 5-0 thrashing of minnows Uzbekistan.
They could only manage draws with DR Congo and Colombia before scraping past Croatia in the last 32. They stifled much of Spain’s attacking threat during their encounter, but ultimately fell short.
And in the end, Martinez felt the moment had arrived to resign.
“It is the end of the cycle, and it’s important to have a new voice now,” he said.
“I think it is entirely fair that the president, Mr Pedro Proenca, has the opportunity to choose his own manager. It is completely legitimate.
“I want to thank the president and the board for their support and for providing me and my coaching staff with all the necessary conditions. I appreciate their strength and support, but it is the end of a cycle.
“I take the memories with me, and I hope the Portuguese people will also have good memories of these three and a half years, which have been some of the best of my entire life.”
Martinez confirmed his exit after Portugal’s defeat at the hands of Spain (Image: Getty)
Martinez confirmed it was not a pre-determined choice ahead of the competition. However, he had little else to add beyond acknowledging his contract had reached its conclusion.
“No, I don’t think it was finalised. My focus when I came to Portugal was to win the World Cup. I believe that without winning the World Cup, it doesn’t make sense to continue.
“The board and the president now have the opportunity to choose their own manager. The president has always supported my work, but my contract ends today, so there isn’t much more to say.”
Martinez also offered a heartfelt tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo, who featured in his final World Cup moments. He will be 45 by the time the next edition arrives.
“There aren’t many Cristiano Ronaldos,” Martinez said. “I will forever appreciate what he tried to do in this World Cup, because his dream was to win it. He was an incredible example of a captain, both on a footballing level and a human level.
“His impact inside the dressing room and within the group of players is something the entire coaching staff and all the players will carry with us forever. He is an example of football, of an athlete, and of the human being behind the athlete.”
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page.