Roberto Martinez will lead Belgium as their manager at World Cup 2022, his third major international tournament in charge of the Red Devils.
The former Wigan boss led the Belgians to third place in Russia four years ago, before they were knocked out by eventual winners Italy in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. They cruised to qualification for Qatar, winning six and drawing two as they went unbeaten to finish five points clear of nearest rivals Wales.
Roberto Martinez arrived in English football from Spain in 1995, signing for Wigan Athletic alongside two of his compatriots. He spent six years there as a midfielder, before moving on to Motherwell, Walsall and Swansea City, where he also became a fan favourite.
Upon retiring in 2007, he took the Swansea job, leading them to the League One title at the end of his first full season in charge.
In the Championship, they continued to dominate possession against bigger clubs with stronger squads, convincing Wigan chairman Dave Whelan to bring Martinez back to the DW Stadium.
He stayed there for four years, keeping them in the Premier League on one of the division’s lowest budgets while implementing a progressive style of play. In Martinez’s final season, Wigan won the FA Cup, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final at Wembley, before suffering relegation that same week.
Three years at Everton followed, where he worked closely with Romelu Lukaku, one of the stars of the Belgium squad.
Marc Wilmots’ failure to take a talented group of players beyond the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, where they lost to Wales, led to the appointment of Martinez later that summer.
The 49-year-old has an excellent record with Belgium; he became the coach with the most wins in the history of the national team by beating Belarus during World Cup 2022 qualifying and now has a record of 55 victories, 12 draws and eight defeats in 75 games.
Belgium have consistently topped the FIFA rankings under Martinez’s leadership and in September 2021 they celebrated three years in first place – although they have since slipped below Brazil.
Roberto Martinez will now be looking to convert that form into victory at a major tournament, after coming unstuck against the eventual champions in both of his previous attempts.
Belgium have been drawn in Group F at World Cup 2022, where they face Canada, Morocco and Croatia. Martinez has a strong roster of players to select for Belgium's World Cup 2022 squad, too, with Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard the star men on the team.
