Jorge Jesus was appointed as the new head coach of the Portugal national football team on July 10, 2026, replacing Roberto Martinez who stepped down after Portugal’s World Cup exit earlier that month [1, 2, 3]. Jesus signed a four-year contract through to the 2030 World Cup, which Portugal will co-host [2, 3, 4].
The 71-year-old coach has extensive experience in Portuguese football with clubs including Benfica and Sporting, and abroad with Al Nassr, where he led the team to the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title [1, 2, 5]. Jesus coached Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, where Ronaldo scored 29 goals in 33 appearances last season under his management [1, 3, 5].
Ronaldo, aged 41 at the 2026 World Cup, had announced that tournament would be his final World Cup but has not ruled out future appearances for Portugal [1, 2, 3]. Jesus said he would welcome Ronaldo’s return if the player desires and is in suitable condition, emphasizing that age is not a barrier. "As long as he's playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team," Jesus told reporters [2].
Jesus highlighted Ronaldo’s fitness and performance levels from their time at Al Nassr: "Age doesn't matter. Look at Cris. Under me, he used to cover 8 kilometres per match, reaching speeds above 25 kilometers per hour," he said [6]. Jesus has not yet talked to Ronaldo about future plans but called him a symbol of Portuguese football and "incredibly easy to work with" [6].
Portugal was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after a 1-0 loss to Spain in the round of 16 on July 6, 2026, which led to Martinez's departure [1, 2, 3]. Jesus’s first game in charge will be Portugal’s Nations League opener against Wales on September 24, 2026 [2].
