Participating in a World Cup as a soccer player is something that belongs only to a privileged few. As much as FIFA has expanded the list of men for each team to 26 names, barely there will be 832 footballers who will participate Qatar 2022. For those in the coaching profession, the filter is even greater: 32 are the coaches main groups, one for each group.
To have World Cup experience as a football player and as a coach It’s something few men have accomplished, let alone lifting the World Cup in both roles: Didier Deschamps in the last World Cup it became the third man from that list that only had the brazilian Mario Zagallo and in German Franz Beckenbach.
In Qatar 2022 There cannot be a fourth man who establishes himself as a coach after having done so as a footballerunless there is a last minute change, but there will be plenty of coaches on the bench who have experienced what it’s like to play in the World Cup.
Which Qatar 2022 coaches were at the World Cup as players?
Nine of the 32 Qatar 2022 coaches they had World Cup experience as players. Some curious facts among them: there is no one who was a goalkeeper or a striker, only one scored at least one goal (Luis Enrique), only four played five games or more and only one reached at least the semi-finals (Didier Deschamps). Also, Deschamps is the only one who already has World Cup experience as a coach.
Didier Deschamps (France)
- Choice: France
- Position: Midfielder
- Tournaments played: France 1998
- Games played: 6
- Goals: 0
- Final position: Champion
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
- Choice: Argentina
- Position: Defender
- Tournaments played: Germany 2006
- Games played: 1
- Goals: 0
- Final position: Eliminated in the quarterfinals
Otto Addo (Ghana)
- National team: Ghana
- Position: Midfielder
- Tournaments played: Germany 2006
- Games played: 2
- Goals: 0
- Final position: Eliminated in the round of 16
Luis Enrique (Spain)
- Choice: Spain
- Position: Midfielder
- Tournaments played: United States 1994, France 1998 and Korea/Japan 2002
- Games played: 12
- Objectives: 2
- Final ranking: Eliminated in the quarter-finals, group stage and quarter-finals.
Greg Burhalter (USA)
- Choice: United States
- Position: Defender
- Tournaments played: Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006
- Games played: 2
- Goals: 0
- Final score: Eliminated in the quarterfinals and group stage.
Rigobert Song (Cameroon)
- National team: Cameroon
- Position: Defender
- Tournaments played: United States 1994, France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010.
- Games played: 9
- Goals: 0
- Final score: Eliminated in the group stage in all four tournaments.
Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
- National team: Senegal
- Position: Defender
- Tournaments played: Korea/Japan 2002
- Games played: 4
- Goals: 0
- Final position: Eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Gareth Southgate (England)
- Choice: England
- Position: Defender
- Tournaments played: France 1998 and Korea/Japan 2002
- Games played: 2
- Goals: 0
- Final score: Eliminated in round of 16 and quarterfinals.
Paulo Bento (South Korea)
- Choice: Portugal
- Position: Midfielder
- Tournaments played: Korea/Japan 2002
- Games played: 3
- Goals: 0
- Final position: Eliminated in the group stage.
