# The 16 Greatest Footballers Who Went On to Manage Their National Team

> Some won the World Cup twice over, once in boots and once in a suit; others found the dugout far harder than the pitch.

*By YPB Team · Published September 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-16-greatest-footballers-who-went-on-to-manage-their-national-team*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Franz Beckenbauer** — score 1000/1000
   West Germany's World Cup-winning captain in 1974 and winning coach in 1990.
2. **Roberto Mancini** — score 596/1000
   Sampdoria great who coached Italy to the Euro 2020 title.
3. **Mário Zagallo** — score 579/1000
   Won two World Cups as a Brazil winger and the 1970 World Cup as coach.
4. **Rudi Völler** — score 525/1000
   1990 World Cup winner who coached Germany to the 2002 World Cup final.
5. **Didier Deschamps** — score 525/1000
   Captained France to the 1998 World Cup and coached them to the 2018 title.
6. **Diego Maradona** — score 463/1000
   1986 World Cup winner who coached Argentina at the 2010 World Cup.
7. **Dino Zoff** — score 463/1000
   1982 World Cup-winning goalkeeper who took Italy to the Euro 2000 final as coach.
8. **Dunga** — score 392/1000
   Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning captain and later their head coach twice.
9. **Andriy Shevchenko** — score 392/1000
   Ukraine's record scorer who coached the team to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.
10. **Gareth Southgate** — score 392/1000
   England defender who later took England to two European Championship finals.
11. **Jürgen Klinsmann** — score 392/1000
   1990 World Cup winner who led Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup.
12. **Kevin Keegan** — score 392/1000
   Two-time Ballon d'Or winner who managed England from 1999 to 2000.
13. **Antonio Conte** — score 309/1000
   Juventus captain who coached Italy at Euro 2016.
14. **Frank Rijkaard** — score 309/1000
   Milan midfielder who coached the Netherlands to the Euro 2000 semi-finals.
15. **Michel Platini** — score 0/1000
   Three-time Ballon d'Or winner who coached France from 1988 to 1992.
16. **Oleh Blokhin** — score 0/1000
   Ballon d'Or winner who coached Ukraine to the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup.

Tags: football, national teams, managers