Who Are the Best Paid International Football Managers from Past to Present?

The best paid international football managers work fewer hours compared to best paid club managers but they carry a lot of expectations as they need to meet the expectations of a whole country. Unlike the relentless weekly grind of club football, international managers focus on tournaments and qualifiers during the stipulated international breaks.

While the salaries are relatively low compared to their club compatriots, a lot of the managers over the past years have secured lucrative contracts. From rising young talented managers to icons of the game, here is our list of the top 10 highest top paid international football managers from past to present.

Best Paid International Football Managers | 2012- Present

10. Ricardo Gareca | 2024 – Present

Gareca was appointed as the Chile manager in January 2024. He has vast experience in CONMEBOL, managing Peru for more than seven years before, doing an incredible job with the limited resources at his disposal. While he is not overly aggressive, his style predominantly contains fast counter attacks. With young talented players slowly re-emerging in Chile, it is to be seen how he would handle them. Gareca’s tenure holds promise for Chile’s footballing future.

9. Dorival Junior | 2024 – Present

Brazil have not been the powerhouse they were at the international level. While they still produce some elite-level players, as a team their performances have been mediocre. The CBF has appointed Dorival Junior to help elevate the national team back to the heights they once reached. Dorival had multiple stints at various Brazilian clubs in his career so far, this is by far the biggest job of his career. Dorival’s extensive domestic experience will be tested as he seeks to unite the talent and elevate Brazil back to its historic heights.

8. Marcelo Bielsa | 2023 – Present

Marcelo Bielsa is the textbook definition of “the favourite person of your favourite person.” From Pep Guardiola to Diego Simeone to Mauricio Pochettino, Marcelo Bielsa has been hailed as the “encyclopedia of football.” Known for his ultra-aggressive style of play called “Murder-ball,” Bielsa’s teams play an exciting brand of football. While he does not have a trophy cabinet that he can boast of, he is adored by every fanbase that he has managed. He started incredibly well at Uruguay, reaching the semifinals of the Copa America 2024. One can only hope that he builds on this success and do well in the 2026 World Cup.

Also Read: Ranking best Spanish football managers of all time

7. Didier Deschamps | 2012 – Present

Deschamps already had a great reputation as a player, being the first captain to win a Champions League title with a French club. He added more feathers to his cap ever since he started his tenure as the manager of France in 2012. While he often gets criticism for playing it too safe considering the talents he has at his disposal, his achievements speak otherwise. Making the finals in 2016 EUROS and semifinals in 2024, playing in two consecutive FIFA World Cup finals and winning one in the span of 12 years is remarkable. It is to be seen if he can continue this success going forward and keep France at the top during this transitional period for the country.

6. Roberto Martinez | 2023 – Present

Martinez had a weird trajectory as a manager. He had a great stint at Wigan Athletic, winning the FA Cup in 2013. He was good at Everton too which ultimately got him the job as the manager of the Belgium National Team. While he did extremely well in 2018, reaching the semi-finals and losing out to the eventual winners France, they were unable to meet the expectations in the next tournaments, inevitably leading to his sacking. But, Portugal decided to have a leap of faith based on his previous good achievements and appointed him to take care of their golden generation. With some of the most talented players at his disposal currently, it is to be seen how he would fare.

5. Julian Nagelsmann | 2023 – Present

Taking up management at a very young age, Nagelsmann rose up the ranks very quickly. In a short span of seven years, he went from Hoffenheim to RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich to German National Team. His tactical knowledge is amongst the best, matching that of the top 5 current managers.

While Germany has not had success ever since their World Cup win in 2014, Nagelsmann’s appointment intends to change it. So far in his tenure, Germany looks good, playing exciting football, trying out new innovative tactics and are favourites for the upcoming World Cup.

4. Mauricio Pochettino | 2024 – Present

United States of America has so many great young talents coming up their ranks. To make sure that this golden era does not go to waste, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) decided to appoint Mauricio Pochettino, a manager who has a great track record of working well and developing young talents at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

With USA hosting the next World Cup, they need to make sure that they put out a great team with a quality manager at the helm. While it is still early days to pass judgements at Pochettino, if we go by his track record, there is a high chance that this appointment could be a huge success.

3. Thomas Tuchel | 2024 – Present

England has had a long line of best English football managers in the past but currently, they are not at that level. While Gareth Southgate did a good enough job, he was unable to cross the finish line on multiple occasions. So, England had to look outside their country to find the best coach who can lead this golden English side to glory.

Thomas Tuchel has an excellent record in knockout football, worked in England before and had tremendous success and has a great relationship with a lot of the current English players, including captain Harry Kane. His style of play is well suited for this format and it is of no surprise that the English fans are eagerly looking forward to this new era.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Managers with the Most Premier League Wins

2. Roberto Mancini | 2023-24

A manager who has had some of the incredible highs in his career at both club and international level, it was a huge surprise when Mancini was announced as the manager of Saudi Arabian National team. With the reputation he had, the salary he was reportedly on and the increasing presence of top world-class players in the Saudi Pro League, the expectations were sky high. But his actions during the match in Qatar sparked controversy when he walked off before the end of his team’s losing penalty shootout against South Korea, forming cracks between him and the management, before eventually leaving the job in October 2024.

1. Marcello Lippi | 2016-19

Marcello Lippi was one of the best football managers and he showcased it during his tenure at Juventus playing multiple Champions League finals and winning league titles. He then backed it up with a World Cup win with Italy in 2006. So it was surprising to see a manager of his reputation joining China. Considering the money he was getting paid and the ambition China showed towards improving their national team, the results fell short and Lippi eventually resigned and retired from the sport itself.

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