With the World Cup 2026 now less than three months away, attention is turning to Canada, Mexico and the USA where the Greatest Show on Earth kicks off on 11th June, when Mexico hosts South Africa.
The likes of Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe will pack the fans into the stadia and, while the World Cup 2026 news will draw the main headlines from action on the pitch, it is the men in the dugouts and stalking the technical areas who will be pulling the strings.
The life of an international manager is a curious one.
He is the man of the moment for a month or so, every two years, but during the domestic campaigns he takes a back seat, negotiating with, and cajoling the big name club managers to get a piece of their most highly prized stars every now and then. And not all club managers are helpful in that respect.
So why, and how do some top level managers make the switch from being a club manager to boss of the nation? It’s certainly a different challenge, maybe not as arduous in terms of day to day pressure, but it is one which can make you a national treasure or a pariah.
Let’s take a look at the SBOTOP pick of three head coaches who have made the transition, and gauge their chances of success this summer.
Carlo Ancelotti: Brazil
The biggest name manager at the summer showcase will be the great Carlo Ancelotti, the man who has arguably done more than any other head coach in modern times and now the head coach of the Selecao. Ancelotti has won the Champions League five times and is the only manager to lead a team into six Champions League finals. He is also the only manager to win domestic league titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues.
Ancelotti’s most recent club team, Real Madrid, are trailing Barcelona in the La Liga title race and they look a less functional side than when the Italian boss was at the helm. In four years at the Santiago Bernabeu he led the team to two La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and a Copa del Rey triumph.
Real Madrid’s forward duo of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior and centre back Eder Militao will all be on the Selecao squad and they know how Ancelotti works…and how he delivers results. As well as being lauded for his tactical skills, evolved over his long career from the early days in Milan, but he is also known as one of the very best man managers in the game. He is much liked for his kindness and good humour as well as his calm approach to difficult situations and Ancelotti is the man who can get the best out of Vinicius Junior, who has not been a happy chap this season.
The very latest World Cup 2026 betting odds make Brazil the fifth favourites to lift the trophy in July. Holders Argentina are the highest rated South American nation but only by a whisker; and the Selecao has a football genius in their camp.
Julian Nagelsmann: Germany
Sixth favourites Germany have recovered from recent disappointments to become one of the fancied sides under Nageslmann. They put up a good show at Euro 2024, beating Denmark in the Round of 16 before losing to eventual winners Spain, after extra time. As a young coach Naglsmann made his name at TSG Hoffenheim, before moving on to manage Red Bull Leipzig, and he became known as a versatile thinker and a disciple of gegenpressing previously associated with Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund. When they lose possession his players do all they can to win back the ball rather than retreating into a low block.
At Bayern Munich, where he won the 2022 Bundesliga title, Nageslmann managed club legends Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry, as well as Jamal Musiala who is quickly becoming one of the most exciting players on the planet. Still only 38 years of age Nagelsmann has the world at his feet and a great chance to increase his stock this summer in the States.
Thomas Tuchel: England
Another former Bayern Munich manager, Thomas Tuchel, is in charge of England, in the hope of winning the World Cup for the first time in 60 years. He won the Bundesliga title in 2023 and that after leading Paris Saint-Germain to two Ligue 1 triumphs, but his biggest club achievement came at Chelsea where he led the Blues to the 2021 Champions League title.
Wingback Reece James is Tuchel’s only England contact from his time at Stamford Bridge, but the latest World Cup odds rate the Three Lions as second favourites to win the 2026 showcase, and Tuchel clearly has a talented squad at his disposal. So far he has won nine and lost one of his ten games in charge, and the German born coach will do his very best to upset his compatriots in summer.
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