Under the leadership of Roberto Martinez, Portugal concludes a mixed year 2024. With a squad brimming with some of the best individual talent in the world, the Seleção recorded nine wins, four draws, and three defeats in sixteen matches. Despite more ambitious playing intentions than under Fernando Santos, the results and strategic coherence leave supporters wanting more.
Arriving in January 2023 after his resignation from Belgium, Roberto Martinez failed to conquer the Portuguese public. Accused of favoring status over performance, he attracted criticism similar to that he received with the Red Devils. “It favors the CV to the detriment of the competition,” declares Alexandre Carvalho, passionate observer and founder of the media Golaco_Tv. Choices such as maintaining players like Cristiano Ronaldo or João Cancelo, to the detriment of young talents like Geovany Quenda, accentuate this feeling of immobility.
THE NEW GENERATION IS WAITING
At 17, Geovany Quenda, considered one of the greatest prospects in Portuguese football, did not play a single minute under Martinez, just like Samu Costa or Pedro Gonçalves. Alexandre Carvalho highlights a lack of renewal of the workforce: “Opportunities are not offered to new talents, and decisions seem disconnected from actual performance.” This observation recalls the difficulties encountered by Martinez in Belgium, where a failed generational transition had marked his mandate.
Despite these criticisms, Martinez sought to establish a more ambitious style with high pressing and controlled possession. If Portugal displays a more attractive face against modest opponents, it still struggles against the big nations. Tactical flaws and poor management of crucial meetings, such as during the last Euro where the Seleção was eliminated in the quarter-final, remain a major obstacle.
SIMILARITIES WITH BELGIUM
As in Belgium, Martinez seems comfortable against second-rate teams but struggles during key moments. Portuguese supporters, although a little more patient, are beginning to perceive a “Martinez touch” which recalls his limitations in Belgium: a lack of consistency, confusing player management and sometimes contested tactical choices.
Despite everything, Portugal has an impressive talent pool and remains a serious outsider for the 2026 World Cup. Roberto Martinez will have to learn from past mistakes and fully exploit the potential of his squad to write his name in the history of the Seleção. However, without a real generational transition and convincing results, his mandate could follow the same path as that with the Red Devils.
