Being a player or a manager and winning the World Cup is no easy feat, but only these three can make that claim.
Winning the World Cup as a manager and player is no small accomplishment. Only three individuals have completed it.
1) Didier Deschamps
As a player, Deschamps led France to the World Cup triumph on home soil in 1998. After France made it to the final for the first time since 2006, when they came in second to Italy, he led Les Blues to a 4-2 victory over Croatia in the championship game.
Deschamps was given the nickname “The Water Carrier” by his former teammate Eric Cantona because, as a defensive midfielder, much of his contribution to the club consisted of stealing the ball from opponents and delivering it to his teammates. The diligent Deschamps won two UEFA Champions League championships with Marseille and Juventus.
Deschamps led France out of a slump as a coach, benching certain well-known players, in his opinion, for the team’s benefit. The fact that France is once again a formidable force in international soccer is proof positive.
According to reports, Didier Deschamps receives a salary of £3.5 million for leading the France national team. This is comparable to what Tite, his Brazilian counterpart, makes.
Joachim Low is the only national team manager who makes more money than Deschamps. According to Statista, Low made £3.85 million as of the 2018 World Cup.
2) Mario Zagallo
As a player, Zagallo twice helped Brazil win the World Cup in 1958 and 1962. He then led his nation in 1970 when they won the illustrious trophy with a team that included players such as Pele and Jairzinho.
After beginning his football career in 1948 with América, Zagallo went on to play for Flamengo and Botafogo.
In 1958 and 1962, he participated in the FIFA World Cup as a player for Brazil. He played for Flamengo at the 1958 tournament, but by the 1962 competition, he had switched teams to Botafogo.
Between 1958 and 1964, he won 33 caps for Brazil.
With the Brazilian national team, Zagallo won the World Cup both as manager (1970) and assistant coach (1994). As a player and manager, he was the first person to win the World Cup. He is the second youngest coach to win a world championship after Alberto Suppici with Uruguay in 1930, at 31. He won the World Cup in 1970 at the age of 38.
3) Franz Beckenbauer
In 1974, the illustrious German won the World Cup at home. After overcoming a Diego Maradona-led Argentina team in 1990, he would coach his nation to the trophy.
Franz Beckenbauer, one of the greatest soccer players in history, is unquestionably a living football icon. Born in Munich, Germany, on September 11, 1945, the highly influential figure in soccer’s fascinating yet challenging world is a two-time winner of the coveted Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year) award in 1972 and 1976, respectively. He is also the only player in the sport’s history to have captained and managed World Cup-winning teams in 1974 and 1990, respectively.
