Roberto Martínez has built one of modern football’s more unusual coaching careers. He did not arrive at the top through a superstar playing past or a fast-tracked managerial rise at elite clubs. Instead, he learned his trade the hard way: in the lower leagues, in the Premier League, under pressure, and often under scrutiny. Over time, he became known as a coach with clear ideas, strong conviction, and a commitment to progressive football.

Now, as Portugal head toward the 2026 World Cup, Martínez finds himself in perhaps the defining chapter of his career. His years in English football shaped his reputation, but international football has given him the stage to prove whether he can turn promise into something truly historic.

An English Football Education

Before he was known as a manager, Martínez had already built a deep connection with British football as a player. After beginning his career in Spain, he moved to England in the mid-1990s and joined Wigan Athletic. It was a major cultural shift, but one that would shape the rest of his football life.

He later played for Swansea City and became immersed in the rhythm of British football: the physicality, the competitive intensity, the importance of mentality, and the relentless pace of the calendar. Those experiences gave him a foundation that many foreign coaches never get. He did not arrive in English football as an outsider with theory alone; he lived it from the inside.

That background would eventually give Martínez credibility when he moved into management. He understood English football at its roughest and most demanding levels, and he carried that experience with him when he returned to the dugout.

Wigan Athletic and the Start of His Premier League Journey

Martínez’s Premier League managerial career began at Wigan Athletic in 2009. It was not a glamorous appointment, but it was a significant one. Wigan were a small club by Premier League standards, constantly forced to compete against richer and deeper squads. Survival was always the priority.

Martínez took on that challenge with a very particular footballing identity. He was never a manager who simply wanted to stay up by playing direct, reactive football. He wanted Wigan to keep the ball, to build from the back, and to play with bravery. That approach made him stand out. At times, it also divided opinion.

For three seasons, he kept Wigan in the Premier League. That alone was an achievement. But the season that truly defined his time there came in 2012/13. Wigan struggled in the league and were eventually relegated, yet that same campaign produced one of the great modern FA Cup stories.

The FA Cup Triumph That Changed Everything

In May 2013, Martínez led Wigan Athletic to an extraordinary FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. Wigan were heavy underdogs, but they won 1-0 at Wembley with a late goal that instantly became part of English cup folklore.

That triumph transformed how Martínez was viewed. He was no longer just an interesting coach with bold ideas at a small club. He was now a manager who had delivered one of the biggest domestic cup upsets in recent memory.

The irony, of course, was brutal. Wigan won the FA Cup but were relegated from the Premier League just days later. That contradiction still defines how many people remember Martínez’s Wigan years: stylish but vulnerable, ambitious but flawed, capable of brilliance but not always able to control the bigger picture.

Still, the FA Cup win mattered enormously. It proved he could prepare a team for a major occasion, inspire belief, and out-think stronger opponents. It also opened the door to a bigger job.

Everton: Promise, Progress and Frustration

That bigger opportunity came with Everton in the summer of 2013. Martínez replaced David Moyes, a long-serving manager who had built Everton into one of the Premier League’s most consistent clubs. It was a huge transition, and Martínez’s arrival brought a change in tone and style.

His first season was highly impressive. Everton finished fifth, played some exciting football, and looked like a club moving forward with renewed energy. Martínez appeared to be the perfect moderniser: positive, articulate, tactically adventurous, and willing to trust attacking players.

At that point, it was easy to imagine he might build something long-lasting at Goodison Park.

But football rarely moves in straight lines. After that strong first season, Everton lost momentum. They finished 11th the following year and then slipped further in his third campaign. Despite reaching cup semi-finals and still producing moments of attractive football, the team increasingly lacked defensive stability and consistency.

That became the central criticism of Martínez in the Premier League. His teams could be fluid and enjoyable to watch, but they could also be too open, too unpredictable, and too fragile when the pressure rose. Eventually, Everton sacked him in 2016.

What the Premier League Taught Him

Martínez’s Premier League story was not a failure, but nor was it complete. Wigan gave him survival fights and an unforgettable FA Cup win. Everton gave him a platform at a bigger club, one outstanding season, and then a reminder of how quickly momentum can disappear.

Those years exposed both sides of him as a coach. On the positive side, he had courage, imagination and a clear football philosophy. On the negative side, there were recurring questions about balance, game control and defensive organisation.

Yet those experiences were crucial. The Premier League is one of the hardest environments in football for any manager, let alone one committed to expansive football. Martínez left England with a more complex reputation, but also with lessons that would become valuable later in international management.

Life After England and the Move Into International Football

After leaving Everton, Martínez stepped into international football with Belgium. That move changed the direction of his career. He no longer had to navigate the weekly volatility of club football. Instead, he worked in a format where preparation, tournament management and player relationships mattered just as much as week-to-week results.

With Belgium, he led a gifted generation and reached third place at the 2018 World Cup, the country’s best-ever finish in the competition. That achievement re-established him as a coach capable of competing on the biggest stage.

By the time Portugal appointed him in January 2023, Martínez was no longer seen simply as a former Premier League manager. He was now a coach with major tournament experience, strong international credentials, and a track record of taking talented teams deep into global competitions.

Portugal turned to him after their 2022 World Cup campaign ended in disappointment. The federation wanted a new voice, a fresh tactical approach, and a manager capable of guiding a squad packed with technical quality.

Why Portugal Feels Like the Right Fit

Portugal is, in many ways, a natural match for Martínez. The squad is rich in technical players, intelligent midfielders, mobile attackers and modern defenders who are comfortable in possession. It is a team that suits a coach who wants flexibility, control and creativity.

Since taking the job, Martínez has had to manage a difficult balance: respecting the team’s established stars while also evolving the side for a new era. That includes handling the continued presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the great figures in football history, within a squad that also contains a younger generation of elite talent.

Crucially, Martínez has already delivered silverware with Portugal by leading them to the UEFA Nations League title in 2025. That matters because it changed the conversation around him. He is no longer just a coach with ideas; he is a coach who has won with Portugal.

The 2026 World Cup: The Biggest Test Yet

Now the focus turns fully to the 2026 World Cup. This may be the tournament that defines Martínez more than any other.

His journey has prepared him well. Wigan taught him how to build belief and survive under pressure. Everton taught him the cost of losing balance. Belgium gave him World Cup experience and tournament credibility. Portugal gives him the talent and depth to aim even higher.

This is not a squad entering the World Cup simply hoping to perform well. Portugal will arrive with serious ambition. They have the players to go deep, the experience to handle major moments, and a manager who has already stood on a World Cup podium before.

For Martínez, that is the opportunity. If Portugal make a real run at the tournament, or even win it, his career story changes again. He will no longer be remembered mainly for Wigan’s FA Cup miracle or Everton’s early promise. He will be remembered as the coach who took Portugal to the ultimate prize.

Final Thoughts

Roberto Martínez’s Premier League years were essential, but they were never the final destination. They were the education. They gave him highs, setbacks, public praise and public doubt. They shaped his strengths and exposed his weaknesses.

What came after has been a process of refinement. International football has allowed him to apply the lessons of England with more maturity and greater tactical control. Now, with Portugal heading into the World Cup as genuine contenders, Martínez stands on the edge of the biggest moment of his career.

From Wigan to Everton, from England to Portugal, the path has been anything but ordinary. But if the 2026 World Cup goes his way, it may all look as though it was leading here from the very beginning.