At least five French managers at 2026 World Cup, a record | OneFootball

Sabri Lamouchi’s appointment as Tunisia coach on Wednesday means at least five French managers will be on the touchline at the 2026 World Cup next summer, a record.

According to L'Équipe, Lamouchi joins Didier Deschamps with France, Rudi Garcia with Belgium, Hervé Renard with Saudi Arabia and Sébastien Migné with Haiti to make up the current quintet.

The number could rise to six if either Johann Sidaner’s New Caledonia or Sébastien Désarbre’s Democratic Republic of Congo come through the intercontinental play-offs on 31 March, although only one can qualify.

The rise aligns with the expanded 48-team finals. In 1998 there were four, Aimé Jacquet with France, Philippe Troussier with South Africa, Henri Michel with Morocco and Claude Le Roy with Cameroon.

It is a rare bright spot in a bruising club season for French coaches. After Patrick Vieira was sacked by Genoa in Serie A in early November, only Régis Le Bris at Sunderland currently holds a post on the bench of a club in Europe’s Big Four.

At the highest level there are none in the Champions League, with France’s three participants led by Spaniard Luis Enrique at PSG, Italian Roberto De Zerbi at OM and Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli at Monaco, who succeeded Austrian Adi Hütter.

UNECATEF has also recently welcomed the presence of binational coaches in the World Cup contingent, notably Moroccan Walid Regragui, born in Corbeil-Essonnes, and Ivorian Émerse Faé, born in Nantes.

Source: L'Équipe