Pedro Proença turns to Jorge Jesus after Portugal exit | OneFootball

Portugal made an early exit from the 2026 World Cup, being knocked out in the round of 16 after a defeat to Spain. The national team once again disappointed in the Iberian clash and ended up conceding the decisive goal deep into stoppage time, allowing the Spanish side to move on in the competition.

Monday’s match marked not only the farewell of the team of the quinas to the World Cup, but also the end of two eras. Cristiano Ronaldo played the final World Cup match of his career, while Roberto Martínez took charge of the Portuguese national team for the last time.

With Roberto Martínez’s departure confirmed, the first names are beginning to emerge to take over the national team. According to newspaper A Bola, the leading candidate is Jorge Jesus. According to the same publication, the 71-year-old former Benfica coach is Pedro Proença’s choice, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, to lead a new era for the team of the quinas.

Available on the market since leaving Al Nassr, Jorge Jesus is in a position to take over immediately and lead Portugal in the next major competitions, namely Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup. It should be noted that Portugal will be one of the host countries for the final stage of the 2030 World Cup, together with Spain and Morocco.

The newspaper also adds that Pedro Proença is expected to meet with Jorge Jesus after the national team returns to Lisbon, with a view to discussing the succession in the technical leadership. At the press conference after the match, the Spanish coach confirmed that he will leave his post as national team manager. Roberto Martínez’s contract is about to expire and will not be renewed by the Portuguese Football Federation.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.