According to the report, the 2026 World Cup will spotlight longevity on the pitch and the touchline, with the record for the oldest coach at a World Cup set to change hands at least three times during the tournament.
Currently held by Otto Rehhagel, who was 71 when he managed Greece at the 2010 World Cup, the mark will fall. Rehhagel’s international tenure ran from 2001 to 2010 and included Greece’s shock 2004 European Championship triumph; the South Africa World Cup marked the end of his international career. Rehhagel is now 87 and long retired from coaching.
Dick Advocaat, who guided Curaçao to World Cup qualification and became one of the oldest figures in the qualifying cycle at 78, figures heavily in the record changes. Advocaat — a long-serving manager who has led the Netherlands, South Korea, Russia and Iraq — stepped down in February due to his daughter’s health, recommended former PSV boss Fred Rutten as a replacement, then returned to the role weeks before the tournament after Rutten stepped back amicably. Rutten, 63, struggled in friendlies, with a 2-0 loss to China and a 5-1 defeat by Australia.
The report notes that Romania boss Mircea Lucescu was 80 during his side’s World Cup playoff semifinal against Türkiye, which ended in defeat, and he died less than a fortnight later.
Two other veteran coaches will briefly hold the oldest-coach distinction early in the tournament. Hugo Broos, 74, will lead South Africa in the June 11 opener in Mexico City; Broos, born April 10, 1952, has been in charge since 2021, led South Africa to third place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and faced criticism after a round-of-16 exit to Cameroon. South Africa also suffered a three-point deduction during qualifying after fielding an ineligible player but still topped their group.
Czechia’s coach Miroslav Koubek, also 74 and born Sept. 1, 1951, will briefly hold the record when Czechia’s Group A game against South Korea kicks off in Guadalajara. According to the report, Advocaat’s return means he will be among a cohort of veteran managers on the big stage when Curaçao faces Germany on June 14.
