Experience imposes its strong presence on the coaching benches of the teams in the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for the United States, Canada and Mexico, as a number of veteran coaches return to the tournament with great ambitions and previous experiences in dealing with the pressure of the World Cup.
The next edition will witness coaches continuing with their teams despite the usual wave of changes before the World Cup, along with names experimenting with new teams, in a clear bet on experience and the ability to manage minute details.
Didier Deschamps stands out at the forefront of these names, as he prepares to lead France for the third time in a row in the World Cup, after leading it to the 2018 title and the 2022 final, relying on a generation led by Kylian Mbappe. Deschamps aspires to add a new achievement to his career, after previously winning the title as a player in 1998.
Marcelo Bielsa also attends the Uruguay national team, becoming the first coach to participate in the World Cup with three different teams, after leading Argentina in 2002 and Chile in 2010, amid hopes of bringing Uruguay back to the forefront after its early exit in the last edition.
Javier Aguirre is having his third experience with Mexico, after leading the national team in the 2002 and 2010 editions and reaching the final 16, hoping to achieve a greater achievement this time on his home soil and among his fans.
As for Roberto Martinez, he enters the challenge with Portugal after his experience with Belgium, which he led to third place in the 2018 World Cup. Zlatko Dalic continues his journey with Croatia after the 2018 final and third place in 2022, while Lionel Scaloni seeks to repeat the crowning achievement with Argentina.
The list also includes Gustavo Alfaro with Paraguay, after his experience with Ecuador, Hajime Moriyasu with Japan, and Hong Myung-bo with South Korea, seeking to make up for the failure of the 2014 World Cup.
In Africa, Vladimir Petkovic leads the Algerian national team in its return to the World Cup, while Murat Yakin continues his mission with Switzerland.
Among the most striking names, Dutchman Dick Advocaat is preparing to lead Curacao, becoming the oldest coach in the history of the World Cup at the age of 78, after having previously led the Netherlands in the 1994 World Cup and South Korea in the 2006 edition. (Sky News)
