Managing a national team is one of the most demanding jobs in football, and doing it as an outsider, someone born and raised in a completely different country, makes it even harder. Yet some of the greatest coaches in the history of the game have done exactly that, and done it brilliantly. With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, let's take a look at the finest foreign managers ever to take charge of a national side.
Luiz
Felipe Scolari
Born in
Passo Fundo in Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari, known simply as ‘Big Phil’, took
charge of Portugal in 2003 and transformed a talented but inconsistent group of
players into genuine world beaters. He guided Portugal to the semi-finals of
Euro 2004 on home soil and then led them all the way to the final four of the
2006 World Cup in Germany, where they finished fourth after a narrow defeat to
the hosts.
That run
included a memorable quarter-final victory over England and remains one of
Portugal's greatest ever tournament performances. Scolari had already won the
World Cup with Brazil in 2002, making him one of the very few managers to have
led two different nations to World Cup semi-finals or beyond.
Guus
Hiddink
Dutch coach
Guus Hiddink produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history when he
led South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 tournament on home soil. Nobody gave the Koreans a chance heading
into the competition, yet Hiddink's well-organised and fiercely committed side
knocked out Spain, Italy, and Portugal on their remarkable run to the last
four.
He became a
national hero in South Korea almost overnight and was granted honorary
citizenship of the country, a rare honour for a foreign football manager.
Hiddink also later managed Australia, guiding them to the round of 16 at the
2006 World Cup, before taking charge of Russia and reaching the quarter-finals
of Euro 2008.
Sven-Goran
Eriksson
Born in Sunne,
Sweden, Sven-Goran Eriksson made history in January 2001 when he became the
first foreign manager ever appointed to lead the England national team. His
arrival was met with both excitement and scepticism, but he quickly silenced
the doubters by guiding England to a famous 5-1 victory over Germany in a World
Cup qualifier.
Eriksson
took England to three consecutive major tournaments, reaching the
quarter-finals at both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as Euro 2004. He
was a calm and measured presence, and his record of consistently delivering
deep tournament runs remains impressive to this day. He won an impressive 40 of
his 67 games in charge.
Roberto
Martinez
Spanish
coach Roberto Martinez made his name in international management with Belgium,
taking charge in 2016 and guiding them to third place at the 2018 World Cup in
Russia, the best result in Belgian football history. He also led Belgium to the
quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and the round of 16 at Euro 2020.
After
leaving Belgium in 2022, Martinez took over at Portugal, winning the 2024-25
Nations League and leading them to qualification for the 2026 World Cup,
including a stunning 9-1 thrashing of Armenia. He has become one of the most
respected international coaches in the game and arrives at the 2026 tournament
with a Portugal squad brimming with talent well beyond the iconic Cristiano
Ronaldo.
Comments
Post a Comment