José Mourinho rejects Portugal offer and returns to Real Madrid
Mourinho chose Florentino Pérez's request to come back to the Santiago Bernabéu instead of heading the Portugal national team.
José Mourinho turned down an offer to become Portugal's national team manager in order to respond positively to Florentino Pérez's request to return to Real Madrid and try to pull the club out of a difficult situation. The development was reported on 28.09.2026 at 19:30.
Return to Madrid instead of the national job
The Portuguese federation contacted Mourinho in the weeks before the World Cup, after it became clear that Roberto Martínez would not remain in charge of the national side regardless of the tournament's outcome. Those discussions, according to available details, were described as very concrete.
Despite that momentum, Mourinho chose Pérez's appeal. He accepted the call from Real's president and returned to the Santiago Bernabéu — a comeback to Madrid that comes 13 years after he last managed the club.
Club insiders say Mourinho and Florentino Pérez kept in touch across the years, and that their relationship is based on complete and unconditional trust. That longstanding connection was decisive in Mourinho's choice to prioritise the challenge at Real over the Portugal job.
The decision closes a chapter of speculation about the national team's immediate managerial future while opening a new period of expectations and pressure at Real Madrid as Mourinho takes charge once again.
Photo: press material from the event
