[Official] The 11th 'resigned coach' of the World Cup has emerged; Portugal coach says he is leaving with "amazing memories"

*This content was translated by AI.

The 11th commanding officer to leave the Gi Gan (CEO) team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America has emerged. It is Roberto Martinez (53, Spain), who led the Portugal national team to elimination in the Round of 16.

On the 7th (Korea time), the Portuguese Football Federation officially announced via its website that "Coach Martinez will step down after the Round of 16 match against Spain. He expressed his gratitude to the Portuguese people and the federation."

Following Portugal's elimination after a 0-1 defeat to Spain in the Round of 16 match held at Dallas Stadium in the United States on this day, Coach Martinez stated in a press conference that "this match was my last game with the Portugal national team" and added, "First, I would like to thank the Portuguese people, and also the players."

Martinez continued, "We played 45 matches and achieved the highest result in the history of the Portugal national team, including winning the UEFA Nations League. This was all due to the dedication of the players," and said, "I am also grateful to the federation for its unwavering support and to the coaching staff who showed amazing professionalism from the first day."

Regarding the defeat against Spain on this day, he added, "We are ending the tournament with a sense of regret. It was not the result we wanted," but emphasized, "We did not give up on the football we intended to play. However, in the World Cup Round of 16, it ultimately comes down to small details. It is simply whether the ball hits the goalpost and goes in or does not. The same applies to the quick free kick taken in the 45th minute of the second half."

Martinez, who is from Spain, managed club teams including Swansea City, Wigan Athletic, and Everton before leading Belgium's golden generation to a third-place finish at the World Cup in 2016. He took charge of Portugal in 2023 and led them to the top of the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League, but this time they were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. In particular, he faced strong criticism throughout the tournament for his tactics and ultimately stepped down following the elimination in the Round of 16.

Meanwhile, immediately after being eliminated from this tournament, Martinez joins a total of 11 coaches who have resigned, including Hong Myung-bo, Germany's Julian Nagelsmann, and Ghana's Carlos Queiroz. Including Tunisia's Sabri Lamouchi, who was fired during the tournament, the number of coaches who stepped down during this World Cup process has risen to 12.

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*This content was translated by AI.