Portugal has appointed Jorge Jesus as head coach on a four-year contract running through the 2030 World Cup, which the nation will co-host with Spain and Morocco. The 70-year-old arrives after winning a domestic treble with Saudi club Al Hilal in 2023-24, adding to three league titles with Benfica and five major trophies — including the Copa Libertadores — during a single season at Flamengo in 2019.

Jesus' first match in charge comes on 24 September against Wales in the Nations League Group D opener. His immediate focus will be integrating a squad built around Cristiano Ronaldo, who turns 41 before the next World Cup. Jesus dismissed concerns about the veteran forward, stating he will select Ronaldo "as long as he's playing and is in a condition to be selected" and called him "easy to work with" from their season together at Al Hilal.

The appointment signals Portugal's intent to maximize its home World Cup opportunity with a manager who knows the domestic player pool intimately. Jesus' track record of immediate impact — titles in his first seasons at Benfica, Flamengo, and Al Hilal — suggests he can accelerate a transition that balances Ronaldo's farewell with the emergence of talents like João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos.