The World Cup sees some of the world’s best and most successful coaches pitted against each other on the biggest stage.
Some managers are in the twilight of their career, looking for one last swan song as they go off into the sunset, whilst others are in their prime or looking for their first big success as a manager.
But who are the oldest and youngest managers at the 2022 World Cup?
The Sporting News has crunched the numbers and figured that all out below.
MORE: Who has won the most FIFA World Cups?
Oldest coach at World Cup 2022
The oldest coach at this year’s World Cup is 71 year-old Louis Van Gaal, who is managing the Netherlands for a second World Cup.
The Dutchman, who is one of the most esteemed managers in world football, previously took the Netherlands to a third placed finish at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
He has also managed some of the biggest club sides in the world, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich – where he won the Champions League, and Manchester United.
The second oldest coach is Carlos Queiroz, who has taken Iran to the previous two World Cups.
Oldest managers at World Cup 2022
| Coach | Team | Age | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Van Gaal | Netherlands | 71 | August 8, 1951 |
| Carlos Queiroz | Iran | 69 | March 11, 1953 |
| Fernando Santos | Portugal | 68 | October 10, 1954 |
| Luis Fernando Suarez | Costa Rica | 62 | December 23, 1959 |
| Tite | Brazil | 61 | May 25, 1961 |
Youngest coach at World Cup 2022
On the other end of the scale, Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni is the youngest coach who will be in the dugouts at the 2022 World Cup.
Currently 44 years old, he took over La Albiceleste after the 2018 World Cup in what was his first head coaching role.
Despite his relative inexperience he has been hugely successful, winning the Copa America in 2021, Argentina’s first trophy in 28 years.
Now leading his country at the World Cup, his side led by Lionel Messi are one of the favourites to go all the way.
Other young coaches at the tournament include Aliou Cisse and Rigobert Song – who represnted Senegal and Cameroon respectively as players and are now coaching – coach of hosts Qatar Felix Sanchez, and Morocco’s Walid Regragui.
Youngest managers at World Cup 2022
| Coach | Team | Age | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Scaloni | Argentina | 44 | May 16, 1978 |
| Rigobert Song | Cameroon | 46 | July 1, 1976 |
| Aliou Cisse | Senegal | 46 | March 24, 1976 |
| Felix Sanchez | Qatar | 46 | December 13, 1975 |
| Walid Regragui | Morocco | 47 | September 25, 1975 |
Ages of all coaches at World Cup 2022
| Coach | Team | Age | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Van Gaal | Netherlands | 71 | August 8, 1951 |
| Carlos Queiroz | Iran | 69 | March 11, 1953 |
| Fernando Santos | Portugal | 68 | October 10, 1954 |
| Luis Fernando Suarez | Costa Rica | 62 | December 23, 1959 |
| Tite | Brazil | 61 | May 25, 1961 |
| Gustavo Alfaro | Ecuador | 60 | August 15, 1962 |
| Gerado Martino | Mexico | 59 | November 20, 1962 |
| Graham Arnold | Australia | 59 | August 3, 1963 |
| Hansi Flick | Germany | 57 | February 24, 1965 |
| Dragan Stojkovic | Serbia | 57 | March 3, 1965 |
| Zlatko Dalic | Croatia | 56 | October 26, 1966 |
| Hajime Moriyasu | Japan | 54 | August 23, 1968 |
| Herve Renard | Saudi Arabia | 54 | September 30, 1968 |
| Paulo Bento | South Korea | 53 | June 20, 1969 |
| Czeclaw Michniewicz | Poland | 52 | February 12, 1970 |
| Luis Enrique | Spain | 52 | May 8, 1970 |
| Gareth Southgate | England | 52 | September 3, 1970 |
| Didier Dechamps | France | 52 | October 15, 1970 |
| Jalel Kadri | Tunisia | 50 | December 14, 1971 |
| Kasper Hjulmand | Denmark | 50 | April 9, 1972 |
| Roberto Martinez | Spain | 49 | July 13, 1973 |
| Gregg Berhalter | USA | 49 | August 1, 1973 |
| Rob Page | Wales | 48 | September 3, 1974 |
| Murat Yakin | Switzerland | 48 | September 15, 1974 |
| Diego Alonso | Uruguay | 47 | April 16, 1975 |
| Otto Addo | Ghana | 47 | June 9, 1975 |
| John Herdman | Canada | 47 | July 19, 1975 |
| Walid Regragui | Morroco | 47 | September 25, 1975 |
| Felix Sanchez | Qatar | 46 | December 13, 1975 |
| Aliou Cisse | Senegal | 46 | March 24, 1976 |
| Rigobert Song | Cameroon | 46 | July 1, 1976 |
| Lionel Scaloni | Argentina | 44 | May 16, 1978 |
Youngest and oldest coaches in FIFA World Cup history
Like this World Cup, the youngest coach in World Cup history is also Argentinian.
Juan Jose Tramutola was just 27 when he led Argentina in the first ever World Cup in 1930.
His side would reach the final, but were defeated by hosts Uruguay in the final 4-2.
By contrast, the oldest coach to lead a team in a World Cup was German Otto Rehhagel, who was the Greece coach at the 2010 World Cup at the age of 71.
Louis Van Gaal is very close to breaking this record, but Rehhagel’s first game at the South Africa tournament came at 71 years, 10 months and 3 days, whilst Van Gaal’s opening game will be 71 years, 3 months and 14 days.
💪 Happy birthday, Louis van Gaal!
🇳🇱 The Dutch tactician led @OnsOranje to a third-place finish at the 2014 #WorldCup 🥉
🤔 What do you remember about that Oranje team? pic.twitter.com/OSNfGEDO0J
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) August 8, 2020
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