The 10 highest-paid managers at the 2026 World Cup: Tuchel, Ancelotti, Pochettino… | OneFootball

Success at international level is priceless. That doesn’t stop football associations from putting a hefty price tag on it, with the managers of England, Brazil, Germany, USA and – surprisingly – Uzbekistan among the highest-paid coaches at the 2026 World Cup.

Spain are among the favourites to get their hands on the trophy, but their manager Luis de la Fuente does not feature among the 10 highest-paid coaches at the tournament. The managers of co-hosts Mexico and Canada are also notably absent.

With credit to Salary Leaks for sourcing the reported figures, here are the 10 highest-paid managers at the 2026 World Cup.

10. Ronald Koeman – Netherlands

£2.61 million per year

Bert Van Marwijk led Oranje to the World Cup final in 2010, but he was famously pilloried by some sections of the press for not playing with a style befitting the Dutch footballing ethos.

Given his time in charge of Barcelona, who face similar aesthetic demands in the shadow of Johan Cruyff, Koeman has the requisite experience to deal with such constant scrutiny.

Koeman’s second stint in charge of the Netherlands hasn’t always been plain sailing, but the Dutch FA continue to place their faith in one of the country’s most iconic football figures. While his salary doesn’t quite place him among the elite earners, it’s still a sizeable chunk of change.

9. Marcelo Bielsa – Uruguay

£2.61 million per year

El Loco will be at his third World Cup this summer, having managed his home country Argentina in 2002 and Chile in 2010.

He’ll be hoping for better than an inauspicious group-stage exit this time around.

Bielsa started out promisingly enough in his first job since leaving Leeds United, leading Uruguay to historic wins over Argentina and Brazil in qualifying.

But the vibes seem a little off and they’ve made the curious decision not to play any pre-tournament friendlies ahead of their opener against Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi will tell you that’s tougher than it sounds.

8. Lionel Scaloni – Argentina

£2.61 million per year

You’d have thought that delivering a World Cup would have you in the top five, wouldn’t you?

Apparently not. In fairness, Scaloni might never have gotten the job in the first place if the Argentinian FA weren’t relatively cash-strapped after a series of ill-advised, unsuccessful appointments.

Things haven’t worked out too badly for all concerned. Necessity is the mother of innovation, and all that.

7. Didier Deschamps – France

£3.31 million per year

Another World Cup winner we’d have expected to see a few places higher.

The captain from France’s legendary 1998 World Cup triumph will be looking to navigate one final tournament this summer after well over a decade of service from the dugout.

It’s the worst-kept secret in football that Deschamps’ old team-mate, Les Bleus icon Zinedine Zidane, will be succeeding him.

Given Zizou’s years on Real Madrid’s payroll, with three Champions Leagues on his managerial CV, you’d imagine he’ll be asking for parity.

6. Roberto Martinez – Portugal

£3.5 million per year

After taking charge of Belgium during the peak of their golden generation years, the former Wigan Athletic manager was handed another talent-rich squad in Portugal. He swiftly delivered silverware, winning the Nations League in 2025.

With a squad packed full of top-tier talent, particularly in midfield, the pressure is on to finally translate Portugal’s potential into World Cup success. His salary reflects those expectations.

5. Fabio Cannavaro – Uzbekistan

£3.5 million per year

Cannavaro won the 2006 Ballon d’Or off the back of his imperious performances at the heart of Italy’s backline that summer.

Twenty years later, he’s going back to the World Cup after an eclectic managerial career that’s included stints in charge of Al Nassr, China, Dinamo Zagreb, Benevento, Udinese and now Uzbekistan.

He had no role in the Central Asian nation making it their first-ever World Cup. Local coach Timur Kapadze saw them through qualification, but they ruthlessly decided on a higher-profile name with greater international experience.

Uzbekistan face Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo in their group. Getting through to the knockout stages would surely represent a decent return on their investment.

4. Julian Nagelsmann – Germany

£4.2 million per year

Still in his thirties, Nagelsmann is already among the most highly-rated of his generation.

His innovative tactical approach earned him jobs at Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich before Germany moved quickly to secure his services ahead of the last European Championship on home soil.

It’ll be interesting to see whether he moves back into club management in the coming years, but his current deal with Die Mannschaft runs through ’til the next Euros in 2028.

3. Mauricio Pochettino – USA

£4.53 million per year

You’ll notice a theme emerging when it comes to the names at the top of this list. They all boast elite-level pedigree from the European club game.

After years of struggle, it was no surprise when the USA acted to bring in a big name ahead of hosting this summer’s World Cup.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, his salary makes him the highest-paid coach in US football history. Will the Argentinian justify that outlay? He’s already justified the obscene price of World Cup tickets…

2. Thomas Tuchel – England

£5.06 million per year

After years of falling just short under Gareth Southgate, the Football Association weren’t messing about when it came to his successor. In Tuchel, they’ve landed one of the best and most respected coaches on the market.

A proven track record in all-or-nothing knockout football – reaching two Champions League finals, winning one – theoretically makes him a good fit for what the Three Lions require at the World Cup.

Having been employed by PSG, Chelsea and Bayern Munich in recent years, it was always going to take a monster salary offer for Tuchel to make the switch to international manager.

1. Carlo Ancelotti – Brazil

£8.28 million per year

Don Carlo tops the list. The dream way to round off a legendary managerial career. And well-remunerated to boot.

No manager has ever won the World Cup in charge of a foreign nation, but you imagine if that’s to change this summer, it’ll be the manager with a record five Champions League trophies under his belt; the only man to have won the title in all five of Europe’s major leagues.

That’s why they pay him the big bucks. His squad selection wasn’t without controversy.

But the Brazilian FA are evidently happy with the work he’s done in preparation for the tournament.

There won’t be any speculation about his future after he extended his current deal through to the next World Cup in 2030.