England and Belgium achieve historic first with foreign coaches in World Cup quarter-finals

England, led by German Thomas Tuchel, and Belgium, coached by Frenchman Rudi Garcia, reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, achieving a first since 1978. The tournament began with 27 teams under foreign coaches.

Scraper SystemJuly 09, 2026, 10:50 AM

England and Belgium achieve historic first with foreign coaches in World Cup quarter-finals

The 2026 World Cup highlights how widespread the trend of appointing foreign coaches for national teams has become. Among the eight teams that reached the quarter-finals, only England and Belgium have foreign names at the helm. These two teams, under German Thomas Tuchel and Frenchman Rudi Garcia, are the first foreign coaches to reach this stage of a World Cup since 1978.

England's German strategy

England, who failed to achieve the desired success with Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello in the past, began a new era by bringing in German Thomas Tuchel to the structure laid by Gareth Southgate. Tuchel led England past the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mexico to the quarter-finals. The "Three Lions" opponent in this round will be Norway, who pulled off a major surprise by eliminating Brazil in the last 16.

Belgium's foreign coach tradition

Belgium, on the other hand, is no stranger to foreign coaches. The Red Devils achieved their best-ever finish of third place in 2018 under Spaniard Roberto Martinez. Now continuing with Frenchman Rudi Garcia, Belgium defeated host nation USA 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals and will face Spain in their next match.

Brazil's long-term Ancelotti project

Five-time world champion Brazil also took a historic step by appointing Italian Carlo Ancelotti. However, the "Seleção" has yet to deliver the expected performance under Ancelotti. Despite this, the Brazilian Football Confederation extended Ancelotti's contract until the next World Cup before the tournament, showing confidence in the coach and the project.

From national pride to global style

Author Simon Kuper told Reuters that the belief that a national team coach should be local is linked to concepts of national pride and authenticity. Kuper said, "The World Cup is not just about winning as many matches as possible; it's also about showcasing your country's football culture. That extends to the coach himself." He noted that many people see a foreign coach as an approach "akin to cheating" or "unoriginal".

However, Kuper stressed that globalization has brought football styles closer together, and that one can now speak of an "international style" based on intense physical effort, positional interchange and organized team play. Noting that major federations are more open to the foreign coach option when traditional methods fail to bring success, Kuper said, "As England did first with Eriksson and then Capello, it is an admission that the existing model no longer works."

The 2026 World Cup will not only determine the champion but also shape the future of one of football's deep-rooted traditions: the idea that the national team should be entrusted only to its own sons.

England and Belgium achieve historic first with foreign coaches in World Cup quarter-finals