By OkayGoal 
The FIFA World Cup kicks off this week, so we’ve decided to rank the best managers in the tournament based on their records at all levels of the game.
It can be very difficult to judge how good an international coach is, especially when they have scant experience in club football, or in some cases none at all. But we’ll have a go at it nonetheless.
Ranking the best managers at the FIFA World Cup 2026:
6. Zlatko Dalic – Croatia
Before becoming the Croatia manager, Zlatko Dalic was a proper journeyman coach, never staying at one club for long before moving onto the next job. He managed clubs in his home country, Albania, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, before taking over the national team in 2017.
At the time, Dalic said he would only keep the job if he qualified the team for the 2018 World Cup. He ended up going above and beyond, taking the team to final where they lost to France. They came third at the following World Cup and reached the final of the UEFA Nations League in 2023, losing to Spain.
Little wonder then that Dalic is considered the greatest manager in the national team’s history.
5. Lionel Scaloni – Argentina
One suspects that Lionel Scaloni probably wouldn’t cut it at the highest levels of club management, but he has done an unbelievable job with Argentina.
it might seem like an easy task coaching a side containing the greatest player of all time, but few managers have been able to find the right balance with La Albiceleste.
Before Scaloni’s appointment in 2018, Argentina had lost three consecutive finals. Since then, they have won all but one of the four tournaments they’ve entered. The Copa America win in 2021, their first since 1993, was the catalyst for an incredible run of success, winning the World Cup in 2023 and another Copa in 2024. They also beat Italy to win the Finalissima, a one-off match between the champions of Europe and South America.
4. Luis de la Fuente – Spain
To appreciate the job that Luis de la Fuente has done, you have to reflect on the decade leading up to his appointment as Spain manager in 2022. In the time between winning the Euros in 2012 and 2024, La Roja had reached just one semi-final in a major tournament. They reached one quarter-final and exited at the round of 16 three times.
It’s not just that their era of dominance had ended; they weren’t even competing at the business end of competitions.
De la Fuente changed all that. He replaced Luis Enrique following the last World Cup and immediately instituted a clear style of play, based on dominating the ball, of course, but they played with a traditional centre-forward and put an emphasis on crosses. Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal thrived in this system and powered Spain to victory at the European Championship. The national team has only lost twice in his 42 matches in charge.
Although the 64-year-old does not have a great CV from his time in club football management, he had a tremendous track record at youth level. He guided the U19’s and U21’s to European titles, and led the U23’s to the silver medal at the 2020 Olympics.
3. Didier Deschamps – France
Didier Deschamps has done an exceptional job at the helm for France, though he has his detractors. His teams can be hard to watch at times, playing a slow and defensive game despite possessing some of the most talented attacking footballers on the planet.
Still, you can’t argue with the results. Les Bleus have won a World Cup and the UEFA Nations League, reached another World Cup final and a European Championship final. At club level, he brought Monaco to a Champions League final and won the Ligue 1 title with Marseille.
2. Thomas Tuchel – England
Of all the managers at the World Cup this summer, Thomas Tuchel is the one who could walk into almost any job in club football tomorrow if he resigned from his England post.
The German’s pedigree is exceptional, having managed some of the top clubs in Europe. He constructed a world-class defence at Chelsea that was the backbone of the UEFA Champions League win in 2021 and most Blues fans will tell you he should never have been sacked.
It will be fascinating to see where he lands after his time as Three Lions boss finishes up.
1. Carlo Ancelotti – Brazil
There is no one who can come close to the success of Don Carlo in the modern game. While we are yet to find out if Ancelotti has the chops for international football, his success at AC Milan and Real Madrid marks him out as one of the all-time greats.
The Italian has won five Champion League titles, more than any other manager in the history of the competition. There may be better tacticians at this World Cup, but none of them can hold a candle to him as a manager.
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