Jorge Jesus Named Portugal Head Coach After Martinez Exit

Jorge Jesus has been named Portugal head coach, returning one of the country’s most decorated and combustible managers to the national stage after Roberto Martinez’s exit.

Martinez’s spell ended with a thud on Monday, Portugal falling to Spain in the World Cup last 16. Hired at the start of 2023 to maximise a golden generation, he leaves with the same ceiling that has haunted Portugal since 2006: the quarter-finals and beyond remain out of reach on the world stage.

Into that vacuum steps Jesus, 71 years old and still very much a live wire. His managerial career stretches across 36 years, marked by touchline theatrics, tactical conviction and a bulging medal collection. Twice he took charge of Benfica, waging war for domestic supremacy with Sporting CP, before exporting his methods to Flamengo and Fenerbahce. The last three seasons have been spent in the Saudi Pro League, where his reputation only hardened.

His most recent job, at Al Nassr, brought him back into close orbit with the biggest name in Portuguese football. Ahead of joining the Riyadh club last summer, Jesus admitted he “could not refuse the invitation” of Cristiano Ronaldo to take the role. He then delivered: Al Nassr’s first title in seven years, adding another chapter to a CV already heavy with silver.

The numbers are stark. Jesus has won 25 trophies as a manager: three Portuguese league titles with Benfica, a Brazilian crown with Flamengo, and Saudi league triumphs with both Al Hilal and Al Nassr. Wherever he goes, pressure follows. So do expectations.

Portugal’s federation is betting that this serial winner can finally crack the code at World Cup level. The national team has not reached a World Cup semi-final since 2006, when a young Ronaldo was emerging and Luiz Felipe Scolari prowled the technical area. The years since have not been empty — far from it. Portugal lifted Euro 2016, then claimed the Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025, proof of a team that can handle tournament football when the pieces align.

But the next challenge is different. The 2030 World Cup will be played, in part, on home soil. Portugal will co-host the tournament with Spain and Morocco, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay staging the opening matches. The pressure of a home World Cup can crush or elevate. It rarely leaves a coach untouched.

One thing is already clear: Jesus will have to navigate this new era without the man who defined the last two decades. Ronaldo, owner of a world-record 146 international goals in 233 appearances, confirmed earlier this month that he will not play at another World Cup. The partnership at Al Nassr is over; the national-team chapter is effectively closed. Jesus inherits a squad that must learn to live without its enduring reference point.

This is not the first time his name has hovered over a major international job. In March 2025, The Athletic reported that Jesus was a leading contender to become Brazil head coach, mentioned in the same breath as Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti ultimately took that post after leaving Real Madrid in May, while Jesus stayed on in Saudi Arabia and pushed Al Nassr back to the summit.

His club path has rarely been dull. In 2015, he walked away from Benfica in dramatic fashion to take charge of their city rivals Sporting CP, a move that shook Portuguese football and deepened one of Europe’s fiercest domestic rivalries. In Saudi Arabia, he twice coached Al Hilal, then last summer crossed the divide again to join their Riyadh rivals Al Nassr. There, he snapped a seven-year title drought before departing at the end of the 2025-26 season. Ange Postecoglou has since stepped into that role.

Now the stage is different, the stakes higher, the margins thinner. No transfer window. No foreign reinforcements. Just a talented core, a demanding public, and the promise — or threat — of a World Cup at home in four years’ time.

Jesus has built a career on walking into volatile environments and imposing order on his terms. The question now is simple and unforgiving: can he do the same for a country still chasing its next great World Cup run?