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Foreign managers at the World Cup: can anyone break the 96-year hoodoo?



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In one of the more surprising World Cup stats, no foreign coach has ever presided over a nation winning the World Cup. 

Every World Cup-winning team has been coached by someone from the same country as the team. However, with foreign coaches leading a majority of teams in 2026 including some of the tournament favourites, that record could potentially be challenged.

Spreadex Sports looks at some of the leading foreign coaches in this year's tournament, as well as a broader look at some of the most successful World Cup managers.

2026 WORLD CUP - THE MANAGERS

For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 28 of the 48 teams are managed by a foreign coach, while 20 have a coach from their own country. That means approximately 58% of the teams involved have a foreign manager.

Some notable examples of teams with foreign managers include:

England — Thomas Tuchel (Germany)

Brazil — Carlo Ancelotti (Italy)

Canada — Jesse Marsch (United States)

Portugal — Roberto Martínez (Spain)

Belgium — Rudi Garcia (France)

Austria — Ralf Rangnick (Germany)

USA — Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina)

Based on World Rankings, pedigree and odds on our Outright Winner market, Tuchel, Martinez and Ancelotti are most likely to be the managers who have the best chance to finally break tradition, given their winning pedigree in club football.

Tuchel has 10 major trophies on his CV, while Ancelotti is among the most decorated managers of all time with a whopping 31 pieces of major silverware in a glittering managerial career.


WORLD CUP HISTORY - THE WINNING MANAGERS

World Cup Year Winning Nation Manager
1930 Uruguay Alberto Suppici
1934 Italy Vittorio Pozzo
1938 Italy Vittorio Pozzo
1950 Uruguay Juan López Fontana
1954 West Germany Sepp Herberger
1958 Brazil Vicente Feola
1962 Brazil Aymoré Moreira
1966 England Alf Ramsey
1970 Brazil Mário Zagallo
1974 West Germany Helmut Schön
1978 Argentina César Luis Menotti
1982 Italy Enzo Bearzot
1986 Argentina Carlos Bilardo
1990 West Germany Franz Beckenbauer
1994 Brazil Carlos Alberto Parreira
1998 France Aimé Jacquet
2002 Brazil Luiz Felipe Scolari
2006 Italy Marcello Lippi
2010 Spain Vicente del Bosque
2014 Germany Joachim Löw
2018 France Didier Deschamps
2022 Argentina Lionel Scaloni

 

Will 2026 see another name added that shares a nationality with their team, or will this be the year of a historical first?

Watch this space.

 

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