Managing a national team is one of the most demanding jobs in football, and doing it as an outsider, someone born and raised in a completely different country, makes it even harder. Yet some of the greatest coaches in the history of the game have done exactly that, and done it brilliantly. With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, we take a look at the finest foreign managers ever to take charge of a national side, who helped flip football matches odds on their head.
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Born in Passo Fundo in Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari, known simply as ‘Big Phil’, took charge of Portugal in 2003 and transformed a talented but inconsistent group of players into genuine world beaters. He guided Portugal to the semi-finals of Euro 2004 on home soil and then led them all the way to the final four of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they finished fourth after a narrow defeat to the hosts.
That run included a memorable quarter-final victory over England and remains one of Portugal’s greatest ever tournament performances. Scolari had already won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, making him one of the very few managers to have led two different nations to World Cup semi-finals or beyond.
Guus Hiddink
Dutch coach Guus Hiddink produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history when he led South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 tournament on home soil. Nobody, including the World Cup odds, gave the Koreans a chance heading into the competition, yet Hiddink’s well-organised and fiercely committed side knocked out Spain, Italy, and Portugal on their remarkable run to the last four.
He became a national hero in South Korea almost overnight and was granted honorary citizenship of the country, a rare honour for a foreign football manager. Hiddink also later managed Australia, guiding them to the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup, before taking charge of Russia and reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2008.
Sven-Goran Eriksson
Born in Sunne, Sweden, Sven-Goran Eriksson made history in January 2001 when he became the first foreign manager ever appointed to lead the England national team. His arrival was met with both excitement and scepticism, but he quickly silenced the doubters by guiding England to a famous 5-1 victory over Germany in a World Cup qualifier.
Eriksson took England to three consecutive major tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals at both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as Euro 2004. He was a calm and measured presence, and his record of consistently delivering deep tournament runs remains impressive to this day. He won an impressive 40 of his 67 games in charge.
Roberto Martinez
Spanish coach Roberto Martinez made his name in international management with Belgium, taking charge in 2016 and guiding them to third place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the best result in Belgian football history. He also led Belgium to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and the round of 16 at Euro 2020.
After leaving Belgium in 2022, Martinez took over at Portugal, winning the 2024-25 Nations League and leading them to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, including a stunning 9-1 thrashing of Armenia. He has become one of the most respected international coaches in the game and arrives at the 2026 tournament with a Portugal squad brimming with talent well beyond the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo.
