Fabio Cannavaro, Didier Deschamps, Ronald Koeman and Hong Myung-bo are among the most prominent names in a group of coaches heading to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ who once graced the world’s biggest football stage as players.
World Cup 2026 – Managers who competed at past World Cups during their careers, such as Didier Deschamps or Fabio Cannavaro, make the list.
With just a few months to go until the biggest football festival on the planet gets underway, excitement around the FIFA World Cup 2026 continues to build. As anticipation rises, this feature kicks off a series of classic Top X articles designed to warm up fans ahead of the global showpiece.
FIFA ensured parity at the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw on December 5, 2025.
You can check the Qualified teams here.
In this edition, we take a closer look at 16 head coaches who previously competed at past World Cups during their playing careers. The article is compiled using official data from FIFA’s website.
Revisit our coverage as we track how our predictions and actual results shape England’s World Cup journey.
Ahead of the intercontinental and continental play-offs in March 2026, we also revisit five iconic European play-off clashes, including the legendary duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
World Cup 2026 Odds will also be updated here.
World Cup 2026 – Coaches who once ruled the world stage as players
Otto Addo (Ghana)
Addo was part of Ghana’s historic first-ever World Cup squad in 2006. He featured in two group-stage victories over Czech Republic and the United States, helping the Black Stars reach the knockout rounds.
Javier Aguirre (Mexico)
Aguirre started all five matches for Mexico at the 1986 World Cup on home soil, playing a key role in their run to the quarter-finals. He also entered history as the first Mexican player to receive a red card in a World Cup match.
Carlo Ancelotti (Brazil)
After missing Spain 1982 through injury and failing to make an appearance in 1986, Ancelotti finally featured at Italy 1990. He played in the third-place play-off, where Italy defeated England.
Hugo Broos (South Africa)
Broos represented Belgium at the 1986 World Cup, contributing to their impressive fourth-place finish. Notably, he faced Aguirre in Belgium’s group-stage defeat to Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Fabio Cannavaro (Uzbekistan)
Cannavaro captained Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, playing every minute and earning the adidas Silver Ball. He also appeared at the 1998, 2002 and 2010 World Cups. At World Cup 2026, Cannavaro will return as head coach of Uzbekistan.
Didier Deschamps (France)
Deschamps lifted the World Cup trophy as captain on home soil in 1998. He later cemented his legacy by guiding France to the 2018 title, becoming one of only three men to win the World Cup as both player and coach.
Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
The Egyptian legend played every minute of Egypt’s 1990 World Cup campaign, drawing with the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland before exiting in the group stage.
Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)
Koeman featured at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He scored in the Round of 16 in 1990, while at USA 1994 he captained the Netherlands to a quarter-final finish.
Néstor Lorenzo (Colombia)
Lorenzo was part of Argentina’s squad that finished runners-up at Italy 1990. He started in the final, where Argentina were narrowly beaten 1–0 by West Germany.
Hong Myung-bo (Korea Republic)
Hong captained Korea Republic during their unforgettable 2002 World Cup run on home soil, leading the team to a historic fourth-place finish and earning the adidas Bronze Ball.
Mauricio Pochettino (United States)
Pochettino represented Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, playing all three group matches in a disappointing campaign that ended in an early exit.
Tony Popovic (Australia)
Popovic was part of Australia’s 2006 World Cup squad, marking the nation’s return to the finals after 32 years. He featured in the group-stage defeat to Brazil.
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
The coach who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 also featured as a player at the 2006 finals, appearing in the Round of 16 victory over Mexico after extra time.
Jamal Sellami (Jordan)
Sellami appeared at the 1998 World Cup with Morocco, making one appearance and now stands on the brink of leading Jordan to their first-ever World Cup.
Ståle Solbakken (Norway)
Solbakken played at France 1998, featuring in two group matches and the Round of 16 loss to Italy.
Pape Thiaw (Senegal)
Although he made just one appearance at the 2002 World Cup, Thiaw left a lasting mark by assisting the golden goal that sent Senegal past Sweden in the Round of 16.
In addition, two coaches heading to World Cup 2026 were registered squad members at previous tournaments but did not feature on the pitch: Julen Lopetegui (Spain, 1994) and Emerse Faé (Côte d’Ivoire, 2006).
