Hugo Broos Sets Short-Lived World Cup Manager Record

Hugo Broos became the oldest coach to manage a World Cup match when South Africa opened the 2026 World Cup against Mexico. The 74‑year‑old Belgian set the mark at age 74. The record surpassed a 16‑year‑old benchmark set by Greece’s Otto Rehhagel in 2010 at age 71. Before Rehhagel, Paraguay’s Cesare Maldini held the record at age 70 in the 2002 World Cup. The milestone will be eclipsed within hours when Czechia face South Korea, with Miroslav Koubek, also 74, taking the lead. Koubek will become the oldest manager a few hours later and will turn 75 in September. Koubek was appointed Czechia’s manager in December 2025 after a long club managerial career following his playing career as a goalkeeper. After Koubek, Curaçao’s 78‑year‑old Dick Advocaat will claim the record when his side meets Germany. Advocaat was appointed Curaçao coach in 2024 and secured World Cup qualification in November 2025. Advocaat stepped down in February due to his daughter’s health issue, prompting assistant Fred Rutten to take over; he returned in May after his daughter’s condition improved and a sponsor threatened funding if Rutten remained head coach. Advocaat, who has managed since 1980, previously led the Netherlands men’s team three times after a 1987 stint with the women’s national side, and his club résumé includes Rangers, Borussia Monchengladbach, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Sunderland and Feyenoord. Curaçao marks the eighth nation he has coached, following spells with the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia and a 2021 stint with Iraq.