Crystal Ball Gazing: Who'll Be In the Dugout for 2030 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup may well showcase an exceptional array of managerial talent—but brace yourselves for what's coming in 2030. Taking the eight pre-tournament favourites heading into the next tournament, we've mapped out where football's finest might end up.

Spain – Xabi Alonso

Before reaching his half-century, Alonso looks destined to work through an impressive catalogue of elite positions. His Real Madrid tenure lasted seven months. Bayern Munich aren't known for their patience with rejected suitors. And Chelsea? Well, plenty of Anfield folk still harbour feelings about that move following their shared history in the mid-2000s.

Once that particular Chelsea experiment implodes—as it inevitably will—genuine options become thin on the ground. Retirement beckons. But when the itch returns and another glittering challenge calls, Spain's national team will have the kettle on.

France – Zinedine Zidane

He'll assume control, oversee a brief tenure, collect a couple of World Cups and a European Championship, then depart. His legend as the go-to solution for baffled ex-players turned podcast philosophers will be cemented, though nobody will ever quite work out if he's actually brilliant or simply very, very fortunate. When Italy respond to their World Cup suspension by handing the job to Marco Materazzi, the Alan Pardew versus Roberto Mancini dust-up will look positively graceful by comparison.

England – Mauricio Pochettino

Thomas Tuchel will eventually grow weary of the endless circus. Whether it's constant questions about anthems, Jude Bellingham's every move, or his mother's opinions on Bellingham, something will break him. The relentless scrutiny will take its toll.

When he walks, the clamour for an English manager returns—despite the talent pool being remarkably shallow. Eddie Howe won't fancy accidentally elevating Jason Tindall. Frank Lampard deserves another shot but needs that Chelsea caretaker role firmly in the past. Graham Potter remains, well, Graham Potter.

Enter Pochettino. After a German manager's reign, an Argentine one feels perfectly calculated to wind up the right quarters. His Spurs project will be ancient history by then, especially with Roberto De Zerbi accumulating considerable influence across north London. Pochettino brings World Cup experience, genuine affection for English football, and an unfortunate habit of heartbreak on football's grandest stages. Even Eric Dier's inevitable appointment as his assistant sorts out the succession plan.

Argentina – Diego Simeone

Once Simeone accepts that his Atlético Madrid marriage has run its course, possibilities multiply: Saudi Arabia, Inter, or simply shadowing David Beckham hoping for a petulant response. Argentina might prove most appealing—a post-Messi nation finally free from servicing genius, ready to embrace darker methods and hand Cristian Romero the armband.

Simeone's softened over the years, adopting more expansive football. A World Cup campaign could unleash his instincts, shatter red card records, and generate enough controversy for each match to warrant its own Wikipedia battle page.

Portugal – Cristiano Ronaldo

He's essentially managing already. Make it official.

Brazil – Pep Guardiola

The occasional chat about Guardiola's national team ambitions has persisted for years. With Manchester City—possibly his entire club career—in the rear-view mirror, fresh motivation might resurface.

When asked in 2025 whether he'd consider Brazil, his response was characteristically philosophical: "Why not? Many good things in football's history come from South America—Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay. The greatest players emerge there before moving to Europe for economic opportunities." Brazil would likely make it financially worthwhile. Having broken their foreign manager seal with Carlo Ancelotti, recruiting the biggest name available makes sense.

Germany – Gareth Southgate

The romantic fantasy involves Jürgen Klopp taking the job—an iconic Premier League rivalry going global. But he's content sipping Red Bull, pontificating, and maintaining his Instagram presence.

Perhaps he'll attempt it after Julian Nagelsmann falls on his sword following Paraguay's upset. Germany's failed to win a knockout match since the 2014 final, managing only a quarter-final exit at the Euros. They need rescuing.

Picture it: a national team in crisis after losing a knockout tie to an inferior opponent, burdened by penalty shoot-out demons. Sound familiar? Germany simply needs their Sam Allardyce—a brief embarrassing appointment before Southgate restores order. Klopp could always provide that scandal beforehand.

Netherlands – The Rotating Door

It'll inevitably be someone's turn anyway. Why not honour a tournament with six co-hosts by appointing four joint managers? Van Gaal, Advocaat, Hiddink, and Koeman all possess World Cup experience and intimately understand Dutch disappointment. Frank de Boer follows in the aftermath, with Arne Slot patiently awaiting his invitation to the carousel.