With just a few months until this year’s World Cup in Qatar, anticipation is high as we are firmly getting into the European domestic season. It’s certainly felt unique, with matches coming thick and fast and the Champions League seemingly every other Tuesday and Wednesday as the best sides try to juggle their squads between domestic and European responsibilities.
There will also be a balancing act for international managers in the coming weeks. The FIFA World Cup bets are proving it hard to call an outright favourite to lift the trophy in the Middle East come late December and it could indeed come down to whoever has the best boss in the technical area. In recent years we’ve seen Gareth Southgate reinvent England, Stephen Kenny struggle in Ireland and Rob Page guide Wales to an unlikely place on the plane. But which country has the best manager heading into the tournament?
Putting together a squad comprised of the best in the country is no easy feat, and setting them up to compete in the most competitive tournament in the world takes some commitment. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best managers that will be in the technical area come the start of the 2022 World Cup.
Hansi Flick – Germany
If this was a conversation about club football, the brilliant Hansi Flick would be head and shoulders above the rest of the competition after winning the treble with Bayern Munich in 2020. Flick, who worked with Germany before between 2006 and 2014 has now become the permanent successor to Joachim Löw after working as his assistant, and it instantly makes Germany look more favourable when it comes to FIFA World Cup news.
Flick will know the core of his squad from his time at Bayern, and if he can incorporate the likes of Leroy Sané, now also in Bavaria, and Timo Werner, who has rediscovered his best form after returning to the Bundesliga, Germany have a great chance of winning a second World Cup in their last three attempts.
Diego Alonso – Uruguay
Although Uruguay might have missed out on their ‘Golden Era’ of the modern generation, with Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani both the wrong side of 35, the two-time World Cup winners are building for the future under the guidance of Diego Alonso. Having managed a plethora of South American teams including Olimpia and Peñarol, Alonso served as the first manager of Inter Miami in the MLS before taking over the national team job from long-serving and respected boss Óscar Tabárez, who had been in charge for 15 years before the 47-year-old’s appointment.
In a tough group with South Korea, Portugal and Ghana, many expect the Uruguayans to qualify, but you wonder if Alonso has had enough time to perfect the 4-5-1 system that has seen La Celeste remain unbeaten this calendar year, conceding just one goal in the process. Alonso has a bright future ahead of him and Uruguay are in capable hands with him in the dugout.
Tite – Brazil
Favourites for the World Cup, and rightly so given their unbeaten qualifying path to Qatar, Brazil have their best chance of winning a tournament since Ronaldo’s brace earnt the Seleção a record-extending fifth title over 20 years ago now. Their current side, led by Tite, is a combination of the 2019 Copa América winners and a new breed of exciting attacking talent, like Vinícius Júnior and new £85 million Manchester United man Antony.
Tite is known for his tactical flexibility and has recently experimented with a more direct 4-4-2 that sees star man Neymar in a more central role — something that would benefit the Paris Saint-Germain star after his disappointing tournament in Russia 2018. Only time will tell if Tite can deliver another Brazilian success in the World Cup, but his profile more than fits the bill and his squad now looks like the best blend of proficiency and potential to bring the trophy back to South America.
