Spanish coach Roberto Martinez, head of the Portugal national football team, confirmed the end of his technical role with Portugal after being eliminated from the 2026 World Cup following a 0-1 loss to Spain in the round of 16 on Monday. Martinez, whose contract ends in July, said in a press conference: "This is my last match with Portugal. I thank the Portuguese people; it was a wonderful period that I am proud of, and I will keep memories of it for life. I also thank the players for their work. We have talented players, but the most important thing is the commitment to form a strong team, and that starts with attitude, and we had that." Martinez has been in charge of Portugal since January 2023, overseeing 45 matches, winning 32, drawing six, and losing seven, and led them to the 2025 UEFA Nations League title. The coach added: "We played 45 matches with the best numbers in Portugal's history in goals and points. This came thanks to the players' commitment. One of my best memories is winning the Nations League and setting records, so thank you to them." The Spaniard spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's forward, who started in all of Portugal's matches in the 2026 World Cup and was only substituted once, saying: "He was an ideal captain. Since my arrival, he has been an example of commitment, not only in goals but also in his way of living football." He continued: "He is an icon, and there are not many like him. We must thank him for everything he has done; he tried to achieve the dream of winning the World Cup, and he was an example on and off the pitch." The 52-year-old coach expressed his sadness at being eliminated in the round of 16 in dramatic fashion after substitute Mikel Merino scored for Spain in the first minute of stoppage time, and stated: "It is a match we end with sadness because this result is not what we wanted. We faced a team that is considered one of the favorites in this World Cup, but that did not stop what we wanted to do." Portugal has only reached the quarter-finals once, in 2022, in its last five appearances despite having many football stars. Martinez responded to a question about why the team has not gone far in the World Cup by saying: "It is not exclusive to Portugal. Continuity in the advanced stages is very difficult. What matters is that we consistently qualify and produce new players, which is special for a country with a population of only ten million."