It is widely believed that Jose Mourinho will be offered the position of Portugal head coach after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) are expected to target the current Benfica manager once Roberto Martinez’s contract ends at the conclusion of the tournament.
Mourinho to leave Benfica in the summer?
Mourinho returned to Benfica for a second spell in September after signing a two-year agreement with the Liga Portugal club. However, according to ESPN, the FPF are preparing to approach the 63-year-old about taking over the national team when Martinez steps aside.
The same report adds that if Mourinho departs Benfica, recently dismissed Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim would be the leading candidate to replace him. Amorim spent nine years at Benfica as a player and remains highly respected in Portugal following his trophy-filled period at Sporting CP.
‘I want to unite a country around a team’
Mourinho made his ambition to move into international management clear in January last year while still in charge of Fenerbahce. Speaking to *Corriere Dello Sport*, he said: “I want to coach at a European Championship or a World Cup and bring a whole country together behind a team, just as I’ve done many times with clubs. I want to do it for football and for what the sport stands for. It would be something incredible.”
In August, when questioned about possible interest from Brazil, he explained that his priority was always Portugal. He told *Sporty Net*: “My destiny, at international level, is to play in a World Cup with the Portuguese national team. I never seriously thought about coaching Brazil. My first experience has to be with Portugal. People must understand I’m a professional and could coach other teams later, but only ones I feel a connection with — Brazil because of our shared history, England because it feels like home, Italy because I worked there for years. But my first national team must be Portugal.”
Mixed results at Benfica
Benfica’s form since Mourinho’s return has been inconsistent. They have been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions and now sit seven points behind Liga Portugal leaders FC Porto, a situation that recently sparked a tense confrontation with fans at the training ground.
However, Mourinho also produced a memorable Champions League moment. Benfica reached the knockout phase playoffs after a dramatic 4-2 victory over his former club Real Madrid in the final league-stage match, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a stunning goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal qualification.
Mourinho responds to Real Madrid links
Mourinho has also been linked with a sensational return to Real Madrid, where Alvaro Arbeloa is currently in charge of the first team. Reports suggested that club president Florentino Perez views a reunion with the Portuguese coach as his “ultimate objective.”
Mourinho dismissed those claims last month in an interview with *Sport TV*, saying: “Don’t include me in soap operas. There are good soap operas, but they’re very long — if you miss one or two episodes, you lose the story. Don’t count on me, because I don’t watch soap operas.”
The two sides will meet again soon regardless, as Benfica have been drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff round. The first leg will be played in Lisbon on February 17, but Benfica must first focus on their Liga Portugal trip to Santa Clara on Friday.
