Jorge Jesus Named Portugal's New Head Coach

Jorge Jesus has been named Portugal’s new head coach, stepping into one of international football’s most scrutinised jobs after Roberto Martinez’s exit in the wake of a World Cup disappointment.

Martinez, in charge since the start of 2023, left his post after Portugal’s last-16 elimination to Spain on Monday, a defeat that underlined a familiar frustration: a talent-rich squad falling short on the biggest stage.

A serial winner with a restless career

Jesus arrives at 71 with a managerial career that stretches across 36 years and several continents. His name is woven into the modern history of Portuguese football: two spells at Benfica, a dramatic switch to city rivals Sporting CP in 2015, and a return to Lisbon after success abroad.

His CV is heavy with silverware. Twenty-five trophies as a manager. Three Portuguese league titles with Benfica. A Brazilian crown with Flamengo. League triumphs in Saudi Arabia with both Al Hilal and Al Nassr. Wherever he goes, he tends to leave with a medal.

The last three seasons have taken him deep into the Saudi Pro League, a competition transformed by money and star power. At Al Hilal, he added yet another title. At Al Nassr, he walked into a dressing room dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and walked out with the club’s first championship in seven years.

Before joining Al Nassr last summer, Jesus admitted he “could not refuse the invitation” from Ronaldo to take over at the Riyadh club. The dynamic was clear: a veteran coach, a global icon, and a shared urgency to win.

He departed Al Nassr at the end of the 2025-26 season. Ange Postecoglou has since taken that job, while Jesus now steps into something far more emotionally charged: the national team.

Portugal between eras

Portugal’s recent history is a blend of glory and regret. They have not reached a World Cup semi-final since 2006, yet they claimed the European Championship in 2016 and lifted the Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025. The trophies say one thing. The World Cup record says another.

This appointment lands at a moment of transition. Ronaldo, the country’s defining figure for two decades, confirmed earlier this month that he will not play at another World Cup. His international numbers are staggering: 146 goals in 233 appearances, both world records. That chapter is closing.

And yet the stage is only getting bigger. Portugal will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Morocco, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay also staging games at the start of the tournament. A home World Cup, at least in part, sharpens every decision from now until then. Every squad, every call-up, every tactical tweak will be viewed through that lens.

Jesus is not walking into a quiet rebuild. He is walking into a countdown.

The one that got away

His name has been linked with national teams before. In March 2025, The Athletic reported that Jesus was a leading contender for the Brazil job, mentioned in the same breath as Carlo Ancelotti. Brazil ultimately turned to Ancelotti after his Real Madrid exit in May, and Jesus stayed in Saudi Arabia.

Now the job he takes is not Brazil, but something even more personal. Portugal is where his reputation was forged, where he divided a city by crossing from Benfica to Sporting CP, where his teams played with an intensity and edge that mirrored his touchline persona.

This time, the canvas is bigger. The expectations are harsher. The timelines are shorter.

Portugal have a proven winner back at the helm, a coach who has built champions in Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro and Riyadh. The trophies say he knows how to construct a title-winning side. The question that will follow him from his first squad announcement to the opening whistle of 2030 is simpler, and far less forgiving:

Can he finally turn Portugal’s World Cup story into something worthy of their talent and their turf?