The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Sunday (November 20) with Ecuador beating hosts Qatar 2-0 in their opening match. 32 teams will compete for the beautiful game’s biggest prize in the coming month.
Football fans look forward to seeing the game’s best players take to the battlefield in the coming weeks. But any team’s chances of doing well in the tournament are largely determined by the tactical masterminds at work on the sidelines.
Therefore, the importance of coaches in a tournament like the World Cup cannot be underestimated. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top five FIFA World Cup 2022 managers.
5. Didier Deschamps (France)
Didier Deschamps led France to the 2018 World Cup title. The former France international has done a great job as Les Bleus manager, leading the team to 84 wins in 132 games. He has a win rate of 63.64%.
Deschamps also led the French side to a triumph in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League. He is by far one of the most successful 2022 FIFA World Cup managers. However, this time Deschamps faces the difficult task of leading his team to a successful title defense. France are not as strong a unit as they were four years ago and their recent form has been less than inspiring. They have only managed to get one win in their last six games in all competitions.
4. Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Argentina are one of the teams to watch at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and that’s mainly because it will likely be Lionel Messi’s last. But there are other reasons for Argentine fans to hope.
Argentina are unbeaten in 36 matches and have a star squad heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Their manager, Lionel Scaloni, is a relatively unknown commodity in coaching circles, but he has definitely proven in recent years.
Scaloni led La Albiceleste to Copa America glory in 2021 to end a 28-year drought in the competition. Scaloni’s Argentine side have won 33 of their 48 games in all competitions so far.
3. Tite (Brazil)
Brazil are widely regarded as favorites to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They currently have one of the best squads on the international circuit and many of their players are in top form. Tite also led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title and has done a fantastic job with the team in recent years.
A pupil of the legendary Luiz Felipe Scolari, Tite made Brazil the number one team in the world according to the FIFA rankings. Tite’s record speaks for itself. Under his tutelage, Brazil have won 57 of their 76 games in all competitions and the Brazilian coach has a 75% win rate.
2. Luis Enrique (Spain)
Luis Enrique is one of the best and most experienced coaches at the 2022 World Cup. Enrique had great success at Barcelona between 2014 and 2017 before taking over as head coach of La Roja.
Enrique is certainly the right person to lead the team as the Spanish national team goes through a period of transition. After their most successful period in international football, Spain collapsed after winning Euro 2012.
But Enrique seems to have breathed new life into the team, and has led the Spanish side to 19 wins in 35 games so far. Under his watch, Spain lost just four games in all competitions.
1. Hans-Dieter Flick (Germany)
Hans-Dieter Flick proved his coaching credentials by winning an historic six with Bayern Munich in the 2019-2020 season. After a very successful two-year spell as head coach of the Bavarians, Flick took charge of the German national team.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be Flick’s first major international tournament other than the UEFA Nations League. Germany have developed into a formidable side under his new manager, winning 10 so far and losing just once in 16 games in all competitions.
Flick has shown a knack for navigating knockout competitions very efficiently in the past. This is one of the reasons why Germany are one of the teams to watch in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.