The curse of the imported coach in the 2026 World Cup
The Curse of the Imported Selector
Spain has never used a foreign coach. Meanwhile, 26 of the 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup will do so. The tradition of champions with local coaches, in check.
Spain is the exception in an era of football globalization: it has never had a foreign coach lead its national team. Meanwhile, more than half of the teams that will compete in the 2026 World Cup—26 of the 48 participants—have opted for coaches from outside their borders. The tradition of world champions being coached by a local coach remains intact, but the 2026 tournament could break it.
The recent history of international football is full of cases of coaches who crossed borders to succeed. Carlos Queiroz, for example, directed five consecutive World Cups with different teams: United Arab Emirates (1990), Kuwait (1998), South Africa (2002), Iran (2014) and Egypt (2018). Bora Milutinovic, for his part, accumulated five World Cups with five different teams: Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), United States (1994), Nigeria (1998) and China (2002).
Carlos Alberto Parreira, the oldest, participated in six editions as a coach, leading Brazil in 1994 and 2006, and other teams such as Kuwait and South Africa. The paradox is that, despite the growing internationalization of the benches, no world champion team has been led by a foreign coach. From Uruguay in 1930 to Argentina in 2022, all the titles have fallen into the hands of local coaches.
Spain, with Luis de la Fuente at the helm, keeps this tradition alive, but the 2026 World Cup could be the stage where the curse is broken. The debate is not minor. Globalization has democratized access to the best technical profiles, but it has also raised doubts about whether a team's identity is diluted when the management does not share its football culture.
Queiroz, Milutinovic and Parreira showed that success is possible beyond borders, but the history of the World Cup remains a reminder that local tradition has weight. What will happen in 2026? With 26 teams with foreign coaches, the probability of one of them lifting the cup increases.
The question is no longer if it will happen, but when. The current context adds another layer: FIFA has relaxed the nationality rules for selectors since 2021, making it easier for technicians with dual nationality or roots in other countries to take office. This has accelerated the trend, but has also raised criticism about whether experience is being prioritized over cultural identity.
The psychological factor also plays a role. In a tournament where the pressure is maximum, some teams could look externally for a solution to historical blocks. Portugal, with Roberto Martínez, seeks to repeat the success of 2016 with a coach who already demonstrated his ability in the Euro Cup.
Morocco, with Walid Regragui, is betting on a profile that understands African football from within, but with a European perspective. These cases show that the choice is not always binary: identity versus experience, but a strategic combination. The RFEF, for its part, maintains its line.
Luis de la Fuente, coach since 2022, has built a team based on the youth team and tactical cohesion, something that local coaches tend to master better. But the 2026 World Cup comes at a time of generational transition, and the pressure for results could force a paradigm shift. Are we facing the twilight of the era of local technicians or just a blip in history?
The answer could be on the field, but also in how teams balance tradition and modernity. The 2026 World Cup will not only be a football festival, but a sports management laboratory on a global scale. Portuguese coach Roberto Martínez summed up the dilemma in a recent interview: "A national team is not a company.
It has an identity that transcends the coach. " The increasing dependence on foreign technicians also raises questions about the sustainability of this trend. If national teams continue to choose foreign coaches, is there a risk of losing the essence of local football?
The emotional connection between the coach and the fans is crucial, and a coach who does not share the country's culture could have difficulty generating that bond. Thus, the 2026 World Cup becomes a turning point: a success for a foreign coach could open the doors to a new era, while a failure would reaffirm the importance of local identity. In this sense, the 2026 World Cup will not only measure the technical quality of the selectors, but also their ability to adapt and connect with the expectations of the fans.
Teams that manage to balance international experience with a deep understanding of their country's football culture could have a decisive advantage. In the end, the tournament will be a reflection of how football, despite its globalization, remains a phenomenon deeply rooted in national identity. Read at ABC Deportes
Why this matters
The article exposes a key tension in modern football: the globalization of dugouts versus the tradition of local champions. While the 2026 World Cup will be the most global in history in technical terms, history suggests that the title usually stays at home. Breaking that dynamic would not only redefine football, but would challenge the idea that local identity is a determining factor in success. A debate that goes beyond sport and touches the essence of how national teams are built. The election of foreign coaches in 2026 also reflects an evolution in talent management: FIFA has relaxed nationality rules since 2021, allowing profiles with dual passports or roots in other countries to take up the position. This has accelerated the trend, but has also opened a debate about whether technical expertise is prioritized over cultural identity. In a tournament where the pressure is maximum, some teams look externally for a solution to historical blocks, such as Portugal with Martínez or Morocco with Regragui. The RFEF, on the other hand, maintains its commitment to the local, but the 2026 World Cup comes at a time of generational transition that could force a paradigm shift.
Frequently asked
Why has Spain never had a foreign coach?
The RFEF has always prioritized the figure of coaches with roots in Spanish football, from José Villalonga to Luis de la Fuente. The tradition of training local coaches and the confidence in their ability to manage the identity of La Roja have maintained this line.
How many teams in the 2026 World Cup will have foreign coaches?
Of the 48 qualified teams, 26 have opted for selectors from outside their borders. It is the first time that more than half of the participants break with the tradition of local technicians.
Which foreign coaches have had the most success in World Cups?
Carlos Alberto Parreira is the record holder with six participations (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006). Bora Milutinovic managed to qualify five different teams to the final phase, and Carlos Queiroz led five teams in consecutive World Cups.
Has any foreign coach won a World Cup?
No. All world champions until 2022 have been coached by local coaches. The tradition is still intact, but the 2026 World Cup could be the scene where it is broken.
Which 2026 World Cup teams have foreign coaches?
These include Portugal (Roberto Martínez), France (Didier Deschamps, although he is French, his case is atypical), the Netherlands (Ronald Koeman) and Morocco (Walid Regragui), among others.
How has FIFA influenced this trend?
Since 2021, FIFA has relaxed the nationality rules for selectors, allowing coaches with dual nationality or roots in other countries to take on the role. This has accelerated the hiring of foreign profiles.
