Roberto Martínez has confirmed he is stepping down as Portugal head coach following the team's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup round of 16, insisting the result should not be seen as a failure.
Confirming his exit, Martínez told ESPN, "Yes, this is my last game with the national team. I'm proud. I've had 45 games, and I felt welcomed in Portugal and loved. It's a memory I'll take with me always. It was a pleasure, a source of pride and responsibility. It's hard, but it's the end of a cycle and, in the context, it makes absolute sense."
The former Belgium, Everton, Wigan Athletic and Swansea City manager leaves behind a talented Portugal squad featuring Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo. Despite the early exit, he rejected suggestions that the campaign had been unsuccessful.
"We didn't fail," Martínez said, adding, "We lost a game against one of the tournament favourites. We showed incredible individual talent. Winning or losing is about fine margins in big games between top teams. You fail when you don't try to win, and we tried to win until the last minute."
He also highlighted the challenge of maintaining consistency at the highest level.
"It's not just Portugal. There aren't many countries that consistently reach the latter stages of World Cups. It's very difficult to qualify and compete at that level every time. Sometimes the difference is a ball hitting the woodwork. Those are the moments that decide World Cups," he said.
Martínez also defended his decision to leave Ronaldo on the pitch for the entire match.
"When you're chasing a goal, you can't take Cristiano Ronaldo off. He can play 90 minutes without a problem. His presence creates space, and from a set piece or any ball into the box, he can make the difference. It wouldn't have made sense to substitute him. In extra time, it might have made sense to bring on Gonçalo Ramos, but we had to maintain our structure. It wasn't the time to take off your top scorer during the 90 minutes," he said.
Portugal's campaign ended heartbreakingly at AT&T Stadium after substitute Mikel Merino scored a 91st-minute winner to send Spain into the quarterfinals.
The match also marked Cristiano Ronaldo's final FIFA World Cup appearance.
Martínez, who took charge of Portugal in 2023, was due to see his contract expire after the tournament. His departure comes after Portugal were also eliminated in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024.