Next Portugal Manager Odds: Luis Freire Favourite to Replace Roberto Martinez
Following Portugal's elimination from the 2026 World Cup, Roberto Martinez confirmed that he will be stepping down as Portugal manager, after a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the round-of-16.
The 52-year-old was a surprise appointment back in January 2023, taking over from Fernando Santos after Portugal's run ended at the hands of Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
His own tournament record since has been mixed, a penalty shootout exit to France in the last eight of Euro 2024, following an earlier World Cup semi-final with Belgium in 2018 and a group-stage exit with the same country in Qatar four years later.
Attention now turns to the next Portugal manager odds, with the betting market already shaping up around the leading contenders to replace him.
We take a closer look at the leading candidates and assess who could realistically replace him.
Next Portugal Manager Odds
With Martinez stepping aside once his contract runs down, the market is already moving on who takes over.
Below we assess the most likely outcomes in the betting.
| Candidate | Next Portugal Manager Odds |
|---|---|
| Luis Freire | 5/2 |
| Abel Ferreira | 7/2 |
| Sergio Conceicao | 6/1 |
| Jose Mourinho | 8/1 |
| Rui Vitoria | 10/1 |
Odds correct as of Tuesday, 7 July, 9:30am, courtesy of Bet365.
Luis Freire
The favourite for the job is already inside the building.
Freire has wasted no time making an impact in charge of Portugal's Under-21 side, with several well-connected national journalists already touting him for the senior post further down the line.
At just 40, he's remarkably experienced for his age, having held permanent managerial roles in both the top and second tiers of Portuguese club football before making his first foray into international management last year.
Since replacing Rui Jorge at Under-21 level, his side have remained unbeaten, and with the national team likely to start blooding its next generation of stars in the coming years, he looks well placed to help manage that transition into the senior setup.
Whether the step up proves too big too soon remains to be seen, but he's the clear favourite among betting sites for now.
Abel Ferreira
The romantic homecoming option would excite plenty of Portuguese fans given his trophy-laden record in South America.
The former Sporting CP player has established himself as one of the most forward-thinking coaches in world football since taking charge of Brazilian giants Palmeiras back in 2020.
He's won close to 60% of his matches in charge there, delivering domestic top-flight titles, a Copa do Brasil, a Supercopa do Brasil, the Copa Libertadores, and three Campeonato Paulista triumphs along the way.
Still only 47, Ferreira would bring a genuine winning mentality to the senior international setup, even if the leap from club football in Brazil to the Portugal hotseat would be a significant change in scope.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho's name will always come up whenever the Portugal job becomes available, even if the timing here works against him.
The Portuguese has long been linked with the national team post and has never fully ruled out international management, but he's only just sealed an emotional return to Real Madrid, making a swift Bernabeu exit extremely unlikely.
Reports in the spring suggested Mourinho was the federation's number one target if the role came up at the end of the World Cup, but with the veteran coach now settled back in Spanish football, the FA will likely need to look elsewhere this time round.
His odds reflect a name every market has to price, rather than a genuine frontrunner.
Odds are subject to change, so it's worth checking live prices before placing a bet. You can compare the latest free bets and World Cup betting offers from fully licensed betting sites here.
