Portugal Coach Roberto Martinez Explains Why His Team Isn’t Among FIFA World Cup 2026 Favorites

Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal finished on top of the group at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Europe. Portugal won four of their group fixtures, losing one and drawing one in the qualifiers. Additionally, they also won the UEFA Nations League this year, beating Spain in the finals on penalties.

This might be Cristiano Ronaldo's last World Cup appearance, thus the player would be hoping to win the marquee trophy with his national team. When asked if Portugal should be considered the favorites for the upcoming World Cup, head coach Roberto Martinez shared that they were not; instead, he believed that his side is the contender for the World Champion title.

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Roberto Martinez Explains Why Portugal Should Not Be Considered Favorites

Martinez acknowledged that while his side is in excellent form currently, they could not be considered as the favorites but just mere contenders for the title. He explained that the teams that have already won the tournament once should be considered as the favorites.

In a recent interview with Marca, Roberto Martinez shared, "This is where you see the difference between being a favorite and a candidate. I think that only those who have previously won a World Cup can be favorites. On a psychological level, knowing that a previous generation has won that tournament gives you special strength, but, even so, I have incredible confidence in this group of players because of the way they live the national team."

When asked if not Portugal, then who could be the favorites, the manager shared, "Those who already know what it's like to win a World Cup and are arriving in good form."

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Roberto Martinez On Cristiano Ronaldo Deserves A Place In The Portugal Side

The manager shared that Ronaldo's attitude and hunger for the game are some of the reasons why he deserves a place in the national squad despite his age.

Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer for the Portugal men's side with 143 international goals and 46 assists in 226 games.