In the months leading up to the last winter transfer window, there was speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo might move to the SüperLig to sign for Fenerbahçe… although Mourinho himself denied those rumors. Now, a few months later, the possibility of a reunion between the two has resurfaced… this time with the Portugal national team.

Portugal considering hiring Mourinho for the 2026 World Cup

The news was confirmed by 'CNN' and 'GOAL'. And despite Roberto Martínez doing a solid job as Portugal’s head coach—becoming the fastest manager to reach 20 wins—the Federation is reportedly considering a bold move to approach the 2026 World Cup with maximum guarantees. In fact, they’re said to be reconsidering paying his release clause to free Mourinho from Fenerbahçe, depending on what happens in the UEFA Nations League Final Four.

Since the beginning of his career, Mourinho has never hidden his ambition to one day manage Portugal: “Coaching the Portuguese team is a dream, but not for the José Mourinho of today,” he said back in 2007, during his first stint as manager of Chelsea. Later, in 2019, he admitted, “It’s something I’d like to do before I finish [my career], but since I still have a long way to go, it won’t happen now—and we’ll see if the opportunity comes or not.”

Real Madrid once blocked Mourinho from coaching Portugal

Since then, Mourinho has had several chances to take charge of the Portugal national team. The first came while he was still managing Real Madrid. “I was offered the national team job twice. The first time, I was at Real Madrid. But Florentino told me it wasn’t possible to handle both roles,” he said in an interview with Fabrizio Romano in 2024.

During his time at Real Madrid, he managed Cristiano Ronaldo in 164 matches… during which Ronaldo scored 168 goals and provided 49 assists. For many, that was Cristiano Ronaldo’s peak form throughout his career. Now, over 10 years after parting ways, there’s a chance he could reunite with Mourinho in Portugal to take on the 2026 World Cup.