Jorge Jesus has been appointed as Portugal’s new head coach after Roberto Martinez departed in the aftermath of their World Cup exit.
Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16 in Dallas, with Mikel Merino coming off the bench to score the only goal in second-half stoppage time.
Since finishing fourth at the 2006 tournament in Germany, Portugal have failed to go beyond the quarter-finals at any of the last five World Cups, only reaching that stage on one occasion (in 2022).
They went out in the group stage in 2014 while falling at the last-16 stage in 2010, 2018 and 2026, never truly threatening to win the trophy during Cristiano Ronaldo’s peak years.
And, after Martinez’s three-year reign came to an end, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has turned to a coach Ronaldo knows well – his former Al-Nassr boss Jesus.
The 71-year-old has signed a four-year contract, which means he will be at the helm for Euro 2028 in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, as well as a home World Cup in 2030.
Portugal, Spain and Morocco will serve as co-hosts for the next edition of FIFA’s flagship tournament, though Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay are also set to host three special centenary matches to mark the competition’s 100th anniversary.
Jesus spent the first 28 years of his coaching career in Portugal at various clubs, with his best work coming with Benfica, whom he led to 10 trophies – including three league titles – and two Europa League runner-up finishes.
He returned to the Estadio da Luz for a second, less successful spell in 2020 and 2021, while he has also managed Al-Hilal on two occasions, Flamengo – where he won the Copa Libertadores – Fenerbahce and Al-Nassr.
He oversaw Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League title triumph in 2025-26 – the first time they have become champions of Saudi Arabia since signing Ronaldo in 2023.
Começa hoje um novo caminho. Bem-vindo à Seleção Nacional, Mister Jorge Jesus. #ViemosParaVencer pic.twitter.com/B9Re2bCuAa
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) July 10, 2026
Reports in Portugal suggest Jesus wishes to keep Ronaldo as an important part of his setup moving forward, though the 41-year-old’s international future is in doubt.
He confirmed prior to the Spain defeat that the 2026 World Cup would be his last, though he also said he would not make any “rash decisions” about his future.
Ronaldo scored 28 goals in 30 Pro League matches under Jesus, at an average of 0.93 per game.
Throughout his career, the only managers under whom Ronaldo has a better goals-per-game average in league play are Carlo Ancelotti (1.22), Jose Mourinho (1.13) and Zinedine Zidane (0.97) at Real Madrid, Maurizio Sarri at Juventus (0.94), and Luis Castro and Rudi Garcia at Al-Nassr (both 1.1).
