Roberto Martinez in Talks to Join Al-Nassr Amid World Cup Pressure

Roberto Martinez is weighing up a dramatic shift in his career, with French outlet RMC Sport reporting that the Portugal head coach is in talks to take over at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

The discussions are understood to have started before the World Cup kicked off, a clear sign that both parties have been thinking beyond the here and now. Martinez’s contract with Portugal runs only until the end of the tournament, and the draw against DR Congo in their opening match has done little to quieten the noise around his future.

World Cup strain, Saudi pull

Portugal’s 1-1 stalemate with DR Congo on Wednesday has left the Iberian side with work to do. The result puts them third in Group K, chasing Colombia, who moved to the top of the table after beating Uzbekistan later in the day.

In the middle of that tension stands Martinez, juggling a World Cup campaign while his next move edges into focus. The former Belgium coach has been here before: leading a major football nation at a global tournament while questions swirl about what comes next.

Ronaldo link looms large

Al-Nassr is the club of Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 40 years old remains central to both his country and his Saudi employers. He started against DR Congo and stayed on for the full 90 minutes, still the reference point for Portugal’s attack and the figure around whom any new project in Riyadh is likely to be built.

The prospect of Martinez reuniting with Ronaldo in a club environment adds an extra layer of intrigue. Their relationship at international level has been defined by the balance between prolonging a legend’s influence and refreshing the team around him. At Al-Nassr, the dynamic would be similar but the context very different: a star-driven club, an ambitious league, and a coach with deep experience managing elite dressing rooms.

For now, Martinez remains on the touchline with Portugal, his focus publicly fixed on the next group game. But with his contract ticking down and talks with Al-Nassr already underway, the question is no longer whether his future lies away from the national team — it’s how quickly that future might arrive, and whether it will be built once again around Cristiano Ronaldo.