5. Carlos Queiroz (Iran)
Iran’s man at the helm is Carlos Queiroz and the Portuguese’s CV would be the envy of many. Queiroz has learned from the best with a five-year spell as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United with an ill-advised one-year stint as Real Madrid boss sandwiched in between. He has also managed South Africa and led the Portuguese national team at the 2010 World Cup, though he only managed to reach the round of 16.
Queiroz soon took over the Iran hot seat, leading the Asian giants to the 2014 World Cup where his team held Argentina for 90 minutes in the group stages before a late Lionel Messi strike broke Iranian hearts. He will be one of the longest-serving managers in Russia in June, having been in charge now for 7 years.
4. Fernando Santos (Portugal)
Fernando Santos is a name synonymous with Greek football, having spent 13 years, from 2001 to 2014, managing clubs in Greece or the Greek national team. Apart from two years back in his native Portugal managing Sporting Lisbon and Benfica for a season apiece, Fernando Santos spent the majority of his time away from his home nation.
Having gotten his break as Porto boss in 1998, he has gone on to win one Portuguese League, two Portuguese Cups, and being named Greek football’s manager of the year on four separate occasions along with the Greece manager of the decade in 2010. He took over his native Portugal’s national team managerial role after the 2014 World Cup, steering them to the European Championships in France two years later – where his Portugal side went undefeated on their way to defeating the hosts in the final for their first major trophy.
3. Tite (Brazil)
Brazil boss, Tite, is managing the 17th side of his journeyman career which has seen him at the helm of most major Brazilian clubs as well as UAE teams Al Ain and Al Wahda. Tite shot to prominence after leading Corinthians to the Copa Libertadores in 2012 before ending a six-year European grip on the Club World Cup, winning the international competition by beating Chelsea in the final in 2012.
Before taking over the national team, the former professional footballer had time to win another Campeanato Brasileiro Serie A with Corinthians in 2015, with a side that included Brazil’s current World Cup squad members Cassio and Renato Augusto.
2. Jose Pekerman (Colombia)
Jose Pekerman was also in charge of Colombia four years ago as they reached the quarter-finals before losing to the host nation, Brazil. At 68, Pekerman is a wily old manager who has seen it all and done it all. He was the manager for his native Argentina at the 2006 World Cup in Germany as well, unfortunately drawing and losing to the host nation at the quarter-final stage on that occasion as well.
Pekerman is known for not being afraid to make controversial decisions, which include leaving out influential defenders Javier Zanetti and Walter Samuel for the 2006 World Cup. Colombia will have to be at their best to qualify ahead of the likes of Senegal, Poland, and Japan.
Germany coach Joachim Löw explains his decision to leave Leroy Sané out of his World Cup squad. pic.twitter.com/tFLCpDONmw
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 4, 2018
1. Joachim Löw (Germany)
Jogi Löw has been in charge of the German national team since 2006 and recently renewed his contract till 2022. Initially brought in as assistant manager to Jurgen Klinsmann in 2004, he helped Klinsmann in reaching the semi-finals of both the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2006 World Cup on home soil. With Klinsmann stepping down, Low took the reins and hasn’t looked back since.
He has gained a reputation for fielding young blood mixed with experienced veterans as he fielded the second youngest team of the World Cup in 2010, which was also Germany’s youngest since 1934. With Löw as their coach, including his time as assistant, Germany have reached at least the semi-finals of their last eight major competitions, starting from the 2005 Confederations Cup – and are, of course, reigning champions.