Ranking the best 10 managers in international football: Tuchel, Ancelotti, Bielsa…
International football is a different beast from the club game, but several big names are currently managing national teams and we’ve decided who is best.
Big nations such as Brazil, England and Germany all pay their bosses well to deal with expectations, while one or two rogue countries also have managerial greats at the helm.
We’ve ranked the 10 best managers in international football as the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues.
10. Ralf Rangnick (Austria)
Austria were one the star turns at Euro 2024, playing club-style pressing football and topping their group ahead of France and the Netherlands.
Their last 16 defeat to Turkey was scant justice, although Austria played their part in one of the tournament’s best matches.
Rangnick has a host of experienced talent to call upon and will likely lead Austria into their first World Cup since 1998, should they beat competition from Romania and Bosnia in their qualifying section.
9. Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)
Koeman is the manager of a quietly stacked Netherlands squad that has only improved since reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
Virgil van Dijk marshals a Premier League-heavy defence, Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo are options up front and the midfield three consists of Tijani Reijnders, Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch.
Koeman will be expected to beat Poland to top spot in their qualifying group and reach the latter stages of the World Cup. No pressure, Ronald.
8. Roberto Martinez (Portugal)
After failing to lead Belgium’s Golden Generation to glory, Martinez fell upwards into the Portugal job in 2023.
Only reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 was underwhelming, but Portugal won the Nations League in the summer of 2025.
A ridiculously talented squad will be one of the World Cup favourites next summer, even with Cristiano Ronaldo shoehorned into the XI.
In fact, Martinez’s £3.5million yearly salary is probably justified for massaging Ronaldo’s ego.
7. Marcelo Biesla (Uruguay)
Having already experienced international football with Argentina, Bielsa is now with Uruguay, where he has been in charge since 2023.
Still adored in the city of Leeds, Bielsa’s style of management has inspired several of today’s leading club managers and has a talented Uruguay team at his disposal.
Nothing from group stage humiliation to matching 2010’s semi-final run is off the cards at the World Cup.
6. Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
De la Fuente’s grounding in managing mercurial young talents in Spain’s youth teams had been underrated, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
Centred around the thrilling wingplay of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, Spain swept all before them at Euro 2024 to win the tournament in style.
Italy, Germany, France and England couldn’t handle the Spanish flair and they are justified favourites for next summer’s World Cup.
5. Didier Deschamps (France)
Deschamps has been the manager of Les Bleus since 2012, establishing them as the best team in Europe for much of that period.
One of the longest-serving managers in the international game, he has won the World Cup and the UEFA Nations League, with a few final defeats thrown in for good measure.
Criticisms of France’s playing style have dogged Deschamps’ reign, but the results ultimately speak for themselves.
4. Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Argentina were a mess when Scaloni took charge in 2018, having endured a shambolic World Cup in Russia and squandering Lionel Messi’s talents.
Two Copa America titles and one glorious World Cup triumph later, the former West Ham defender has established himself as the international manager to beat.
3. Julian Nagelsmann (Germany)
After his dismissal from Bayern Munich in 2023, Nagelsmann moved back into management with the German national team.
He guided them to the quarter-finals of a home European Championships in 2024 and is aiming to right the wrongs of two successive World Cup group stage exits next summer.
Germany are currently level with Northern Ireland and Slovakia in their qualifying group, but you’d expect them to still reach the finals.
2. Thomas Tuchel (England)
Tuchel is England’s first foreign manager since Fabio Capello and is being handsomely paid for the task of winning their first major trophy since 1966.
The former Chelsea, PSG, and Bayern Munich boss took the plunge into international management after replacing Gareth Southgate.
He’s not been afraid to drop big names, with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all excluded from his latest squad. Results are currently vindicating his approach.
1. Carlo Ancelotti (Brazil)
Ancelotti took over the Brazilian national team in 2025, following the end of his spell with Real Madrid.
Having been courted for the job for years, Don Carlo’s arrival was greeted with both excitement and immense expectation.
Brazil last won the World Cup in 2002 and have only reached the quarter-finals in the previous two competitions.
Ancelotti will be expected to win Brazil’s sixth World Cup next summer. Rather him than us.
READ NEXT: Ranking the 10 best managers in club football: Guardiola, Slot, Luis Enrique…
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every manager in the history of the England men’s team?