Top 10 Best Football Managers in the World 2024

With the current state of the game in 2024, football is a lot more focused on the strategic and analytical side of the game. As such, a lot more importance and emphasis is placed on the masterminds and the best football managers in the world. Owing to the ever-changing nature of the sport, these managers have also had to up their game by integrating new tactics each season. 

For this one, we’ll be taking a look at the best football managers in the world in 2024, taking into account the 2023-24 season and the current 2024-25 which is already underway. Naturally, some may feel as though the sample size for determining the best football managers in the world may be relatively small, however, their past achievements and the trophies they have accumulated throughout their careers will also be taken into consideration. 

That said, there are many incredible coaches throughout football right now and unfortunately, some of them will be omitted from the list. In the interests of keeping the list as objective as possible, managers who are currently affiliated with a club will be taken into account. As such, national team managers will not be included in this list because they have had much fewer games in charge than their peers. 

Best Football Managers in the World Right Now

For the most part, there are a few names that immediately jump out as the best football managers in the world. Naturally, it is easier to judge the team and the manager that has won trophies as the best, however, there are other factors to consider and take into account such as the impact the manager has had and how they have performed in comparison to the expectations placed on them. 

Ranking Factors:

Trophies: The number of major titles won, reflecting a manager’s ability to deliver silverware and success at the highest levels.

Recent Success (Honours Won): A manager’s recent achievements, showcasing their current form and relevance in modern football.

Longevity: The duration a manager has been successful at top clubs, demonstrating sustained excellence and consistency.

Tactical Innovation: A manager’s ability to evolve tactics, adapt to modern football, and influence team performance through strategic changes.

Whilst trophies are a very handy measure of a manager’s success, we will also be taking into account their recent success, longevity, how they are performing, and how they are expected to finish the current season. With all those things taken into consideration, let us begin by counting down the top 10 best football managers in the world in 2024.

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#10. Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

When Arsenal found themselves in a crisis in 2019, they boldly appointed their former player and Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta as the head coach. Certainly ahead of the curve with the decision, many were initially shocked to see such a youthful and inexperienced manager at the helm of a club with massive burdens and expectations. 

That said, the young Spaniard bested Manchester City and Chelsea on the way to an FA Cup win that very season, before scraping past Liverpool to win the Community Shield. Although his first season was nothing spectacular, Arteta turned the middling side into a title contender in 2022-23 and then again in 2023-24, with the club returning to the Champions League for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s departure. Although the young side is yet to achieve major success, the club’s massive turnaround thanks to the manager, warrants a spot on the list. 

#9. Unai Emery ( Aston Villa)

One of the most under-the-radar signings in recent times has been Unai Emery to Aston Villa. Following a rather turbulent spell at Arsenal, the Spanish manager was back in La Liga, looking to replicate the success he had found with Sevilla at Villareal. Sure enough, Emery was able to achieve yet another Europa League triumph in 2021, beating Arsenal and Manchester United along the way. 

Fast forward to last season, Emery stepped in at a crucial point for Aston Villa and took them on an unexpected run which saw them qualify for the Europa Conference League in his first season and eventually the Champions League at the end of 2023-24, which was the club’s first time among the Europe’s elite since 1982–83. Having hit the ground running with some great results in the new season already, fans of the club can safely place big expectations on Emery to deliver.

#8. Arne Slot (Liverpool) 

Following the news of Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season, fans of the club were naturally panicked owing to the monumental weight and the expectations of the role potentially falling to someone incapable of handling it. However, those doubts have since been cast aside with new manager Arne Slot and his superb start to the new season. Despite reservations regarding the Dutch manager, Slot has taken to his new role like a duck to water. 

Whilst some may attribute Liverpool’s current resurgence to a ‘new manager bounce’, one cannot deny that Slot has made great strides very early on. Aside from an odd loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, the club has dominated in both the Premier League and the Champions League and sat atop both at the time of writing. With all signs pointing to a sustainable system and reinvigorated team, the Reds are expected to kick on to great things this season. 

#7. Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

Since his arrival in 2011, Diego Simeone has implemented a style of play and aggression within his Atletico Madrid sides, that has become almost synonymous with him. With one of the longest tenures out of any manager on the list, it is not too difficult to see why Simeone is hailed as one of the best football managers in the world. Despite Real Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance in the league and in Europe, Simeone’s ability to put his team on the map is a testament to his abilities. 

Not only has ‘El Cholo’ made his team competitive, but they have also lifted silverware, both domestically and in Europe under his reign. Having heavily reinforced his squad this summer with the likes of Robin Le Normand, Conor Gallagher, and Julian Alvarez, many are expecting the side to kick on and potentially secure yet another league title.

#6. Hansi Flick (FC Barcelona)

Following a brief stint as interim manager of Bayern Munich in 2019, few could have imagined the rollercoaster trajectory of Hansi Flick’s career. After taking up the reins at the Bavarian giants, Flick went on to have one of the most dominant records as a manager, winning every trophy possible. That said, his decision to leave after just one season puzzled many, especially seeing how it blew up in his face. 

Following an abysmal spell as manager of the German national team that bombed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Flick became the first manager to be sacked from the role. After a year on the sidelines, the German signed on as the head coach of FC Barcelona and since then has injected new life into the middling side, making them a force to be reckoned with in both La Liga and Europe. Currently, Flick’s side is seen as the favourite for both, owing to their ruthless form in recent games. 

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#5. Antonio Conte (Napoli)

Up next on our list is the eccentric Antonio Conte who has out of nowhere revived his managerial career. Always seen as one of the best football managers in the world, Conte was successful in almost every club he ever managed. With a career as glamorous and productive as his, one would expect more of a sustained tenure with any one club. However, with Conte, that has hardly ever been the case. 

First rising to prominence with the amazing work he did at Juventus, Conte has since managed the Italy national team, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur, and is now rolling back the years with Napoli. That said, all signs suggest that he could be leading the Naples-based club to a league title this season.

#4. Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen)

Next on our list is the prodigal son of football, Xabi Alonso who was always destined to be a top manager. With numerous key influences during his illustrious footballing career, it was always assumed that Alonso would make the most out of his footballing brain. As it stands, he is one of the best football managers in the world and has become so within a very short span. When appointed as head coach of Bayer Leverkusen in 2022, Alonso had to build on a squad sitting second from bottom in the league. 

Whilst his sixth-place finish was already a solid start, the 2023-24 season saw him take the team on an unprecedented domestic double wherein they went 51 games unbeaten. Unfortunately, the side was unable to cap off the fairytale season fully, owing to a loss to Atalanta in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final. Regardless, Alonso has already turned the eyes of many top clubs in Europe who will be monitoring his progress this year very closely. 

#3. Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)

For the most part, it is an incredible achievement in itself to be placed this high on a list that has the best football managers in the world. However, considering what Simone Inzaghi has managed during his time at Inter Milan, it is hard to argue otherwise. Initially taking Lazio to Champions League contention in Serie A, Inzaghi’s output went up a notch when he received the job at Inter Milan. 

Although things did not click immediately since his appointment in 2021, Inzaghi still put silverware on the table and in his third season turned his side into one of the best teams in the world, winning Serie A and going toe-to-toe with Premier League club Manchester City in the Champions League final. With his side picking up where they left off last season, one can expect yet another big year from the Nerazzurri. 

#2. Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most prolific managers when it comes to managers with most trophies, meaning that he is rightly one of the best football managers in the world and has been for a very long time. With stints at major clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli, and more, ‘Don Carlo’ has pretty much won everything under the sun. 

Not only that but upon his return to Real Madrid in 2021, Ancelotti showed that he still had what it took to be a world-class manager and delivered numerous triumphs. Currently, Real Madrid find themselves in a bit of a predicament, with the signing of Kylian Mbappe causing troubles with how the team lines up. However, if there was one man to sort out the problem, it is none other than the Italian legend himself. 

#1. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)

And now for the name that races to everyone’s minds for the #1 spot, Pep Guardiola. In what has been an extraordinary career, Pep Guardiola in all likeliness could go down as the best football manager in the world ever by the time he closes the door on his managerial career. With stints at FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, Guardiola has delivered in every way possible, breaking and setting numerous records in the process. 

Quite simply put, there is no active manager on the planet more accomplished than him. That said, his Manchester City side is currently experiencing a dip in form, which as always he will likely find a way around, and possibly deliver major silverware by the end of the season, once again.

Honourable Mentions for best football managers in the world 

Naturally, many national team coaches and otherwise unaffiliated coaches could not make the cut for this list. That said, a separate list taking into account overall achievements is sure to include them as well. 

• Lionel Scaloni
• Luis de la Fuente
• Thomas Tuchel
• Julian Nagelsmann
• Zinedine Zidane
• Massimiliano Allegri
• Ruben Amorim

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