Through 22 editions of the FIFA World Cup™, it feels like we’ve seen it all. A player has scored for both teams in a final, one 40-something has netted, a pair of brothers have faced off against one another, and one man has played in the decider for two different nations.
Despite the many plots provided by sport’s biggest tournament, one record remains unbroken: a foreign coach has never won the World Cup
That doesn’t mean some haven’t enjoyed deep runs into the competition.
Guus Hiddink famously took co-hosts Korea Republic to the 2002 semi-finals, while Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari and Spaniard Roberto Martinez did the same with Portugal in 2006 and Belgium in 2018, respectively.
Englishman George Raynor led Sweden to the decider on home soil in 1958, but couldn’t prevent a Pele-inspired Brazil from clinching their first title.
Austrian Ernst Happel then took the Netherlands to the final in 1978, only for hosts Argentina to join the winners’ club at the Oranje’s expense.
The 2026 instalment could, however, be the most likely event to change that 96-year record.
Twenty-six of the 48 nations at the upcoming World Cup will be led by foreign coaches, a figure which stands at just over 54 per cent and represents a 26-per-cent increase from four years ago.
Among those 26, ten are in the top 25 in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, which contains a host of the bookmakers’ favourites and a selection of dark horses looking to disrupt the status quo.
Co-hosts Canada, who are ranked 30th, and USA have appointed foreign coaches to lead them at their home World Cup.
American Jesse Marsch took the reigns of Canada in 2024 and will look to make history by securing the nation a maiden tournament win.
Argentine Mauricio Pochettino joined the Stars and Stripes in the same year, and believes his charges have the “talent to compete” at the finals.
Ecuador, who sit 24th in the world, are also headed up by an Argentine in the shape of Sebastian Beccacece, and will arrive off the back of finishing second in South American qualifying. Austria, 23rd, will be led at their first finals since France 1998 by German Ralf Rangnick.
Italian Vincenzo Montella, meanwhile, is in charge of 22nd-placed Türkiye, who took home bronze at their last tournament in 2002 and boast a selection of exciting players.
Two-time winners Uruguay are under the stewardship of experienced Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, who is returning for a third World Cup after coaching his homeland at Korea/Japan 2002, and Chile eight years later.
El Loco has previous when it comes to winning an international competition, having scooped gold with Argentina at the Athens 2004 Olympic Men’s Football Tournament.
Colombia, who sit four places above Uruguay in 13th, will also be guided by an Argentine in the shape of Nestor Lorenzo.
The 60-year-old was Jose Pekerman’s assistant when La Sele made it to the quarter-finals for the first time at Brazil 2014.
Further up the FIFA World Ranking ladder, Belgium claimed bronze at Russia 2018 and are returning for another title tilt under Frenchman Rudi Garcia.
While this side, who currently sit ninth, is without a host of the stars from the 2018 group, Garcia believes his charges can “achieve great things” in North America.
For Brazil, it’s all about the number six. Currently ranked sixth, they have turned to a foreign coach for the first time in the nation’s history in Italian Carlo Ancelotti.
A serial winner across Europe at club level, can he be the man to win the elusive sixth global title (known in Brazil as the hexa) at the sixth time of asking?
One rung further up sit Portugal who, with the Netherlands seventh, are the highest-ranked nation to have never won the tournament.
Martinez was the man behind Belgium’s run eight years ago, where he became the first foreigner since Happel to claim a World Cup medal.
He can count upon the likes of captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves and Vitinha in their quest to make history.
England, in fourth spot, are the top-ranked nation heading to the tournament with a foreign coach in the dugout.
In October 2024, German Thomas Tuchel became the first overseas appointment made by the Three Lions since Fabio Capello, and just the third in the nation’s history.
Many believe, after near misses in three of the last four major international tournaments, he could be the man to get England over the line.
However, France, Spain and reigning champions Argentina enter these finals on the World Ranking podium, and are all under the guidance of homegrown coaches. Since the World Ranking began in 1992, the tournament winner has been placed off the podium at kick off on just three occasions (France 1998 in 18th, Italy 2006 in 13th and France 2018 in seventh).
Will history repeat itself for a 23rd straight finals, or will a foreign-born coach lead another nation to football’s biggest prize for the very first time?
