The 20 Best Managers in World Football Right Now — Nos. 20–11
The business end of 2025–26 is upon us, the World Cup’s peeking over the horizon, and the dugouts are brimming with big personalities and bigger ideas. From serial trophy hoarders to savvy rebuild merchants and freshly-minted tacticians, here’s my take on who’s setting the standard — counting down from 20 to 11.
If you’re weighing up form, fixtures and narrative arcs, have a gander at our best betting sites hub for the latest market movers — and remember: form and silverware matter, but timing is everything when a global tournament is weeks away.
How we ranked them
Recent results and trophies naturally carry clout, but so do tactical identity, player development, the difficulty of the job, and momentum heading into the summer showpiece. Right then — the countdown.
20) David Moyes — Everton
Moyes thrives at clubs needing a reset rather than a red carpet. He stabilised West Ham, lifted the Europa Conference League, and has repeated the trick at Goodison. Everton have surged from the relegation scrap to sniffing at the Champions League places in a blistering 18 months. Not the man for the super-club circus, but if your outfit’s gone stale, he’ll have them organised, awkward and up the table in a hurry.
19) Julian Nagelsmann — Germany
Euro 2024 didn’t end with confetti for the hosts, but the signs are undeniably bright. Nagelsmann’s Germany have won 13 of his first 25, put France to the sword in style, and are brimming with vibrant talent — think Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala running the show. The blueprint’s modern, the buy-in looks real, and one major honour would rocket him up this list.
18) Niko Kovač — Borussia Dortmund
The Bayern gig came too soon a lifetime ago, but Kovač has rebuilt his reputation the hard way. After success at Monaco, he’s given Dortmund a harder edge and consistency — 40 wins in his first 68 matches and a firm grip on second. The next step is obvious: lift a pot. Can’t do it this season, which caps the rise, but the platform is solid.
17) Cristian Chivu — Inter Milan
From treble winner as a player to fresh-faced boss with authority, Chivu’s trajectory is one to watch. He cut his teeth with Inter’s youth sides, pulled off a last-day escape with Parma in early 2025, then returned to San Siro when Simone Inzaghi departed. There’s even a crack at a domestic double on the table. A shock Champions League tumble to Bodø/Glimt dings the score, but at 45 he’s learning fast in a massive job.
16) Luis de la Fuente — Spain
Spain were relentless at Euro 2024 — seven wins from seven, capped by a 2–1 win over England in the final. De la Fuente has translated his youth-team nous to the senior side superbly, re-energising La Roja with purpose and punch. With a gifted young core at his disposal, they’ll arrive at the World Cup with swagger and substance.
15) Didier Deschamps — France
Player. Captain. Manager. Winner. Deschamps has practically completed the lot. A World Cup lifted in 2018, a penalty-kick whisker away from retaining it in 2022, and a Euro 2024 semi-final despite stutters. The football can be pragmatic, but France are always tournament-relevant on his watch. It might be his last dance — you wouldn’t bet against him making it count.
14) Lionel Scaloni — Argentina
Scaloni presided over the fairytale — Messi’s World Cup in 2022 — but the body of work runs deeper. Copa América champions in 2021, again in 2024, and qualification form that screams belief and balance. For a coach who took the reins before turning 40, the blend of streetwise edge and calm stewardship is top class. Argentina will turn up as favourites for a reason.
13) Simone Inzaghi — Al-Hilal
Inzaghi’s Inter were a machine domestically, clinching the Scudetto with a derby day title party. Europe was the nagging itch — runners-up to Manchester City in 2023 and then thumped by PSG in the 2025 final. The move to Al-Hilal raised eyebrows, yet they promptly dumped Man City out of the Club World Cup. Until he bags a European crown, though, there’s a ceiling to his ranking.
12) Arne Slot — Liverpool
Imagine stepping into Jürgen Klopp’s shoes and winning the Premier League at the first swing. Slot did just that, riding a whirlwind start to life at Anfield. Year two has been a grind, mind: big-money arrivals — Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz — haven’t sparked a surge, and the mood music hints at an exit. The ceiling’s huge, but the second album syndrome is real.
11) Xabi Alonso — Unattached
What a job he did at Leverkusen: a record-breaking unbeaten tear, the Bundesliga prised from Bayern’s grip, and the DFB-Pokal to boot. Only the Europa League final spoiled the perfection. Real Madrid came calling — as they do — but that stint ended abruptly, and now he’s biding his time. The next post he chooses will define his decade; expect a swift climb back into the top 10 once he’s in a dugout again.
The state of play
With the World Cup around the corner, momentum is king. International bosses with a clear identity have the wind at their backs, while club managers juggling title races and transfer fallout are walking a tightrope. The top 10? That’s where the margins get razor thin — and where legacies are written.
