Roberto Martinez Portugal Coach: We Were Just a Little Unlucky  

JAKARTA - Portugal national team coach Roberto Martinez believes his team was unlucky when losing 0-1 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup 16th round at the Dallas Stadium, United States on Tuesday.

The defeat due to Mikel Merino's goal in the 90th minute +1 sent Portugal out of the tournament. The Spanish coach also regretted Portugal's missed opportunities, including when Nuno Mendes' shot hit the crossbar in the first half.

"Maybe we just had a little less luck. Luck was not on our side today, but it was a very balanced match," Martinez said on FIFA's official website.

Martinez assessed that Portugal performed on par with Spain and the match should have continued into extra time.

"We defended well. We played against one of the favorites for the World Cup. I think we deserved to take this game into extra time," he said.

The defeat also ended Portugal's journey in the 2026 World Cup and closed Cristiano Ronaldo's career in the World Cup.