8 familiar Premier League faces you had no idea could be managing at the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will boast tons of big-name managers, with Carlo Ancelotti joining the likes of Marcelo Bielsa, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Didier Deschamps in charge of major footballing nations.
But what about the famous footballing figures in much less high-profile jobs? You’d be surprised how many are currently working in the national game.
Here are eight familiar Premier League faces you (probably) had no idea could be at the World Cup.
Patrick Kluivert
Admittedly, Kluivert’s years with Ajax, AC Milan and Barcelona transcended his Premier League legacy, which ultimately amounted to a relatively brief stint at Newcastle United.
But that sojourn on Tyneside makes the Netherlands legend eligible for this list, and we have to highlight his fascinatingly eclectic coaching career – youth teams at Ajax and Twente, assistant gigs for Brisbane Roar, Cameroon and the Netherlands, brief spells in charge of Curacao and Adana Demirspor.
That path has taken him to his latest job, in charge of the Indonesia national team.
The ‘Red and Whites’ made it to the 1938 World Cup as the Dutch East Indies, but haven’t been back since.
They’re through to the fourth round of Asian qualifying, set to take place in October, and will be there if they can top their group.
Rigobert Song
The former Liverpool and West Ham centre-back remains Cameroon’s all-time most-capped player to this day, having represented the Indomitable Lions a record 137 times across a 17-year international career, which included appearances at four World Cups.
Song later served as Cameroon’s coach for two years but was dismissed after their poor showing at the 2023 AFCON.
He’s since taken up a post as manager of the Central African Republic. One of the relative minnows of the African game, they’ve never made it to a World Cup or AFCON.
Admittedly the ‘could’ in our headline is doing a lot of heavy lifting. They’ve beaten Chad but currently find themselves seven points off surprise package Comoros in their qualifying group.
Luis Boa Morte
You might remember the former Fulham stalwart prowling the touchline at Craven Cottage in the not-too-distant past, having served as Marco Silva’s assistant for three seasons.
He left that job at the end of the 2023-24 campaign to take up a new role as Guinea-Bissau’s manager.
Like Song’s Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau’s hopes of making it to North America next summer are hanging by a thread. They currently find themselves five points behind second-place Burkina Faso.
Benni McCarthy
Another Premier League assistant of the recent past, McCarthy has taken on the Kenya job since departing Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff at Manchester United.
“Participating in the World Cup, it is one of the most special feelings in the world and I want to give them that,” McCarthy told BBC Sport Africa after being appointed in March.
“With the right mindset and dedication from the players, and the willingness to learn and willingness to give everything they’ve got for the course, I think we can surprise a lot of people by still qualifying for the World Cup.”
Kenya are nine points off second-place Gabon in their group. Their hopes of realising McCarthy’s ambitions look fainter with every subsequent qualifier.
Aliou Cisse
Another relatively high-profile figure of African football, Cisse took charge of well over a hundred Senegal matches over the course of nine years.
He led the Lions of Teranga to their first-ever AFCON triumph in 2022, for which he was named African Coach of the Year.
But he suffered a shock dismissal following their Round of 16 elimination at the 2023 AFCON and has since been appointed Libya’s head coach.
Libya have a mixed record in qualifying but their hopes remain alive for now, although they do have ground to make up on the top two of Cape Verde and Cameroon.
Avram Grant
It’s been a wild ride for Grant since his years in the prime Barclays era spotlight at Chelsea, Portsmouth and West Ham.
Alongside three years in charge of Ghana, the Israeli briefly served as manager of Partizan Belgrade, technical director of Thai outfit BEC-Tero Sasana and an interim coach of Indian Super League side NorthEast United.
Since 2022, he’s served as Zambia’s manager. Winning their group looks out of reach, but catching Tanzania to make it to a potential second round does not look beyond them. Watch this space.
Dick Advocaat
CONCACAF qualifying is a veritable who’s who of memorable Premier League faces.
Alongside the obvious – Mauricio Pochettino and Jesse Marsch at the USA and Canada, respectively – you’ve got Steve McClaren at Jamaica, while Stern John and Lee Bowyer are at the helm of already-eliminated Saint Lucia and Montserrat, respectively.
You might be aware of those, but did you know that affable journeyman Advocaat is currently in charge of Curacao?
The three hosts’ bye to the tournament proper has opened up qualifying considerably and Curacao have taken their chance so far.
They’ve topped their group and have made it through to CONCACAF’s third round, set to take place in the September, October and November windows.
QUIZ: Can you name every country to compete at a FIFA World Cup?
Dwight Yorke
Manchester United’s iconic treble-winner scored 19 goals in 72 appearances for his national team, Trinidad and Tobago.
He was captain in 2006, when they became the smallest nation in terms of population to reach the finals of a World Cup tournament. He’s now hoping to repeat the trick as their manager, two decades on.
After keeping a low profile for well over a decade after retiring in 2009, Yorke spent half a season in charge of Australian A-League side MacArthur FC before being appointed his nation’s head coach back in November.
The Soca Warriors are looking good to make it through to the next qualifying round, boasting a three-point lead over chasers Grenada.
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