Scaloni Chases a Historic Feat Achieved by Only One Coach
Winning a FIFA World Cup is one of the greatest achievements in football. Successfully defending that title four years later is an even greater challenge. Throughout history, only two national teams have managed to win back-to-back World Cups: Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962). However, when the focus shifts to the coaches, the accomplishment becomes even more exclusive.
Only one manager has ever won consecutive FIFA World Cups: Vittorio Pozzo, who guided Italy to world titles in 1934 and 1938. Since then, no reigning World Cup-winning coach has managed to repeat the feat.
With Argentina's semifinal victory over England, Lionel Scaloni secured his place in a second consecutive World Cup final and joined an elite group of managers who have reached back-to-back finals. Now, he has the opportunity to end a streak that has stood for nearly nine decades.
The Great Managers Who Fell One Step Short
History shows just how difficult it is to defend a World Cup title.
At the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Franz Beckenbauer led West Germany to the final but was defeated by Argentina, inspired by Diego Armando Maradona and coached by Carlos Bilardo. Four years later, at Italy 1990, Beckenbauer earned his revenge by defeating Argentina in the final to lift the World Cup trophy.
Bilardo's story unfolded in reverse. He celebrated the world title in 1986 but fell just short of back-to-back championships after losing the 1990 final to Beckenbauer's West Germany.
More recently, Didier Deschamps experienced a similar journey. After leading France to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title in Russia, he returned to the final at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Les Bleus were defeated by Lionel Scaloni's Argentina in what is widely considered one of the greatest World Cup finals ever played.
Why Doesn't Brazil Have a Back-to-Back World Cup-Winning Coach?
Although Brazil successfully defended its World Cup title by winning the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cups, no Brazilian coach appears on the list of managers with consecutive World Cup triumphs.
The explanation is simple: the two championships were won under different head coaches. Vicente Feola guided Brazil to the title in Sweden in 1958, while Aymoré Moreira led the team to another triumph four years later in Chile.
A similar situation occurred with Brazil's consecutive World Cup finals in 1994 and 1998. Carlos Alberto Parreira coached Brazil to victory at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, while Mario Zagallo was in charge when the Seleção finished as runners-up at France 1998.
As a result, Vittorio Pozzo remains the only coach ever to successfully defend a World Cup title.
A Final With History on the Touchline
Now, Lionel Scaloni has the chance to write a unique chapter in football history. If Argentina defeats Spain, he will not only successfully defend the World Cup won in Qatar 2022, but will also become the first manager since Vittorio Pozzo to win consecutive FIFA World Cups.
Interestingly, standing on the opposite touchline will be a familiar face. Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente shared the UEFA coaching education program with Scaloni in 2017 and played a role in the Argentine manager's coaching development during that process.
On Sunday, Scaloni will be chasing much more than a fourth World Cup star for Argentina. He will be attempting to end one of football's longest-standing streaks and place his name alongside Vittorio Pozzo in one of the most exclusive chapters of World Cup history.
