Jorge Jesus picked to succeed Martínez as Portugal head coach
Jorge Jesus, 71, is Pedro Proença's choice as Portugal's new head coach, with a four-year deal expected to be sealed within days, running to the 2030 World Cup.
Less than 48 hours after Portugal’s World Cup exit, the succession has a name: Jorge Jesus is Pedro Proença’s choice for the national team bench. The Portuguese FA president wasted no time once Roberto Martínez had confirmed his departure while still in Dallas, in the wake of the elimination by Spain.
When will Jorge Jesus be confirmed?
The file is on track to be closed within days — the expectation is a done deal by Sunday. Jesus is a free agent after leaving Al Nassr, which keeps things simple: no release clause to pay, no club to persuade. At 71, the veteran coach lands what he has long called an old dream: managing Portugal.
What job is the new coach walking into?
A four-year cycle with two major tournaments on the horizon: Euro 2028 and, above all, the 2030 World Cup, which Portugal co-hosts with Spain and Morocco. That is the whole point of going for a heavyweight name — the federation wants to arrive at its home World Cup with a settled project, not a coach finding his feet. Along the way comes the generational rebuild, now that Cristiano Ronaldo has waved goodbye to World Cups.
From Benfica to Flamengo, Sporting to Saudi Arabia, Jesus has stacked up trophies and controversies in equally generous measure — but nobody disputes the CV or the aura. Official announcements will come through the Portuguese Football Federation.
The 2026 World Cup is still running, but Portugal is already thinking about 2030 — and the updated bracket lives in our daily World Cup tracker.
By Vasco Almada
Image: Palácio do Planalto / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
