“I don’t know what happened”

Roberto Martinez, the head coach of Portugal, has addressed rumors that he plans to depart after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He refuted these claims, emphasizing that his current focus is entirely on the tournament at hand.

Before Portugal’s World Cup match against DR Congo on June 17, reports circulated suggesting Martinez would leave his position as head coach. These reports alleged that the Spanish manager had decided not to extend his contract after the tournament, regardless of the team’s performance.

In response to these rumors, Martinez, speaking ahead of the match against DR Congo, downplayed the reports. The 52-year-old stated:

“I don’t know what happened today, but it’s not news. The focus is on the World Cup and focusing on the three-and-a-half-year process to be focused on the World Cup, that’s the only thing that’s important.”

Appointed as A Selecao coach in 2023, Martinez took over from Fernando Santos. In his first significant tournament, he led Portugal to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, where they were defeated by France in a penalty shootout. Under his guidance, Portugal secured their second UEFA Nations League title in 2025 by beating Spain on penalties.

During his tenure with the Cristiano Ronaldo-led team, Martinez has achieved 30 wins, four draws, and six losses in 40 matches. He aims to conclude with a victory by leading Portugal to a World Cup win in North America.

Previously, Martinez led Belgium to a third-place finish in the 2018 World Cup, though they were unexpectedly eliminated in the group stage in 2022.

Pundit Names Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Star as Portugal’s Top Player at 2026 FIFA World Cup, Surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo

In a surprising move, pundit Micah Richards named PSG star Vitinha as Portugal’s standout player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During a discussion with the BBC, Richards was asked to identify the best player for several top nations participating in the tournament.

Initially overlooking Cristiano Ronaldo, Richards chose Vitinha, stating:

“Vitinha, I’ve got to go Vitinha.”

However, realizing the potential backlash, the former Manchester City defender quickly reconsidered, opting to split his choice between Ronaldo and Vitinha:

“No, you know what? I’m going to have to go Ronaldo, aren’t I? Because I’m going to get all Ronaldo fans in my DMs and I can’t be bothered with that. Let’s go split Ronaldo and Vitinha.”

Vitinha enters the World Cup in excellent form, having had a remarkable season with PSG, scoring seven goals and providing 10 assists in 50 appearances, contributing to the team’s Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League victories. Meanwhile, Ronaldo continues to be Portugal’s leading figure, holding the record as the country’s top scorer with 143 goals in 228 caps.