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Dick Advocaat, in charge of debutants Curacao at 78, became the oldest coach ever to take charge of a team at a World Cup, beating the record set by Otto Rehhagel with Greece in 2010.
Winning the World Cup as a manager is its own test of patience, and the record for the oldest winning manager sits at 59, with four of the five men on this list into their late fifties by the time they lifted the trophy.
At 65 years old, Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente could break the record for the oldest winning manager if his team beat reigning champions Argentina on Sunday night, and that will factor into how fans assess the Spain vs Argentina odds. Let’s take a look at the oldest managers to help their team lift the trophy.
5. Aime Jacquet, France, 1998, age 56
Aime Jacquet was 56 when France won on home soil in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0 in Paris. He had spent the build-up under heavy criticism from the French press over his squad and tactics. Zinedine Zidane, sent off for a stamp on a Saudi Arabia opponent in the group stage, returned for the final and scored both his goals as headers, before Emmanuel Petit added a third late on. Jacquet left the job straight after the win.
4. Sepp Herberger, West Germany, 1954, age 57
Sepp Herberger was 57 when West Germany beat Hungary’s ‘Golden Team’ in the 1954 final, a result still known in Germany as the Miracle of Bern. Hungary had beaten the same West Germany side 8-3 in the group stage and went 2-0 up inside the first eight minutes of the final itself. But Herberger’s team did something that shook every football betting odds market, and fought back to win 3-2, thanks to goals from Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn. Herberger had managed the national side since 1938, with a wartime gap, and the win remains one of the biggest upsets in World Cup final history.
3. Marcello Lippi, Italy, 2006, age 58
Marcello Lippi was 58 when Italy beat France 5-3 on penalties in Berlin, after the 2006 final finished 1-1 following extra time. It capped a return to the national side after a spell away from management, and the tournament is remembered as much for Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi as for Fabio Grosso’s winning penalty.
2. Helmut Schon, West Germany, 1974, age 58
Helmut Schon was 58, just months short of his 59th birthday, when West Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the 1974 final in Munich. It remains one of the closest challenges to the record. Schon had already reached the 1966 final with West Germany, losing to England, and had taken the same side to third place in 1970 before finally winning it on home soil.
1. Vicente del Bosque, Spain, 2010, age 59
Vicente del Bosque holds the record outright. He was 59 when Spain beat the Netherlands in the 2010 final in Johannesburg, sealing the country’s first World Cup with a single goal from Andres Iniesta in extra time. Del Bosque had already won two Champions League titles with Real Madrid before taking the national job, and that background showed in how calmly his Spain side saw out a tense final.