Ranked! The 50 best managers in the world right now

The best managers in the world right now are, by and large, the ones who lift big metal trophies every season.

But that doesn't tell the entirety of it, and at FourFourTwo we wanted to rigorously determine a list of the coaches supreme and dig into the dugout, to provide a full half-century of those at the top of the sport, to sit alongside our list of the best players on Earth right now.

As Arsene Wenger once claimed, “You're loved when you're born, you're loved when you die – and in between you have to manage” – so let's give some love to the geniuses behind the tactics boards and the voices from the sidelines.

How FourFourTwo's expert panel chose the best managers in the world right now

FourFourTwo built an expert panel featuring the likes of European football expert Julien Laurens, Breaking the Lines' chief editor Zach Lowy, freelance analyst/scout Ben Mattinson and Scouted co-founders Phil Costa and Tom Curren, along with the FourFourTwo team, asking our esteemed team for their list of the 20 best managers or head coaches in the world right now.

The criteria was fairly straightforward: we wanted them to pick anyone at any level in charge of any team in the world, based on their tactical acumen and man management – taking trophy haul into account, of course, but considering those at the bottom, too.

Each expert provided a score of 20 for their highest-placed manager, 19 for the second-placed, down to one for the lowest, but we also included statistical analysis.

We gave a score to each manager in Europe's top five leagues at the end of last season for where their team finished in the league – and on top of that each manager was given a score for where their team finished based on squad strength, with our supercomputer calculating a ranking for each manager, based on squad worth and transfer spend.

We were left with a longlist of 111 managers, with the no.1 on our list collecting 234 points – just one more than the second-placed boss – down to the 50th-placed coach getting 25…

50. David Moyes

His disappointing Manchester United stint now feels like it took place a lifetime ago: as do the left-turns at Sunderland and Real Sociedad.

They've all found out the hard way, mind: Moyes is now one of the most respected men in the English game.

The vastly experienced Scot returned to Everton in January 2025 and clearly enjoyed being back at the club where he really made his name, as he quietly – and with no fuss whatsoever – steered the Toffees well clear of the drop zone and fittingly now gets the chance to lead them into their new stadium.

With his 2023 Europa Conference League win at West Ham United finally seeing him win a major trophy, it would daft to see him as anything other than a Premier League legend.

He will deliver for you, providing you give him enough time.

49. Eduardo Coudet

Coudet is a lively, passionate figure on the touchline, as evident by his exit from the Celta Vigo dugout in 2022.

And that passion manifests in his football, getting more than the sum of his parts from a team that didn't cost a whole lot to put together.

The former River Plate and Celta Vigo midfielder’s managerial career is now into a second decade, with the 50-year-old earning a second shot at European management when he joined La Liga side Deportivo Alaves in December 2024.

Three wins and two draws in his new side’s final six La Liga matches steered Alaves out of relegation danger, as his squad got to grips with their coach’s intense, high-pressing style.

48. Carles Martinez Novell

Carles Martinez Novell may be a name that few English fans are aware of, but he's certainly one to watch for the future.

The 41-year-old former goalkeeper has enjoyed a diverse coaching journey that took in a stint at Espanyol and then at the iconic La Masia academy where he worked with the likes of Ansu Fati, Gavi and Xavi Simons, before he headed east to link up with Qatari side Al-Rattan and then the Kuwait U20s side before he landed his first senior managerial role with Toulouse in 2023.

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A win over Liverpool in the group stage of the 2023/24 Europa League caught the eye and Martinez Novell’s side have continued to progress, with the manager’s philosophy built on defensive solidity.

His communication skills have been praised, with the Toulouse boss able to get his complex tactical instructions over to his players in an accessible way.

47. Vicente Moreno

Another Spanish manager cutting his teeth at the very top is Vicente Moreno, with Osasuna earning plaudits for their fluid transitions between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 in the 2024/25 season.

Finishing a respectable ninth, Moreno loves his teams to defend deep, be clinical aerially and focus on wide play to gain results: it's been an excellent rehabilitation in Pamplona over the last 12 months, following on from the disaster of managing Almeria in 2023 to zero wins in just seven games in charge.

He announced his exit from the club earlier this year, with the prospect of another job surely not too far away as he continues his plight in the managerial sphere.

46. Will Still

He's been well-known for a while now: Will Still went viral for his unconventional path from analyst to continental coach, with his entry point into the English game seemingly inevitable sooner rather than later.

Still made a name for himself at Reims, where he was the youngest coach in Europe’s top five leagues and younger than many of his players, spending last season at Lens, where he further established his aggressive style of football, characterised by a high press and width from the full-back position.

And to some, he was a highlight of Monday Night Football coverage last season, joining Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher to discuss his philosophies, principles and why the Football Manager connotations aren't quite correct.

The Belgian-born Englishman will get his first taste of English football next season, after the 32-year-old was handed the Southampton job and tasked with getting Saints back on track after a bleak Premier League campaign – and the eyes of bigger clubs will be on how well he gets on.

45. Franck Haise

After leading Lens to the Champions League group stage for the first time in 20 years, Franck Haise landed the Nice gig a year ago and proceeded to deliver their best Ligue 1 campaign for eight seasons, with their fourth-place finish their best under the current ownership.

Yes, that's Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS: perhaps Ruben Amorim could learn a thing or two.

His teams tend to be well-drilled and employ a solid defensive strategy, using nous, intelligence and speed in attack, as he continues to adapt his style of play – and Haise has shown throughout his short managerial career the ability to react to setbacks and player sales with the minimum of fuss, while off the pitch has created a united and tight unit.

44. Jagoba Arrasate

Arrasate has almost two decades of coaching experience under his belt, including a successful six-year spell at Osasuna which saw the side qualify for Europe for the first time in 16 years.

The 47-year-old has an excellent track record in developing youth players and now looks to be putting in the foundations for success in Mallorca, while juggling the La Liga side's duties with managing the Basque Country.

Having led Los Piratas to a respectable midtable finish on the back of tactical flexibility and the creation of a clear identity and playing style at the club, he'll be hoping to build on that with a solid second season.

43. Fabian Hurzeler

Straight-talking, intelligent and undeniably personable, Brighton hired the very picture of the manager you'd expect them to this time last year.

Fabian Hurzeler hadn't started high school by the time James Milner made his senior debut in English football. It's possible that the German is a generational talent who may well still be at the top of the game in 2050.

Appointed as a 31-year-old, which made him the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history, Hurzeler has been able to tweak Brighton’s playing style to a more dynamic, overloading brand of football. Even after that huge 7-0 loss to Forest, the side re-grouped and looked stronger for the experience.

That's the sign of a good manager. It’s clear that the former St Pauli chief has a big future, with a return to Bavaria already touted following his youth career at the Allianz Arena.

Hurzeler's positive, attacking system meant that the Seagulls barely missed a beat following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi 12 months ago, and now a year into the job, he'll be looking to lay foundations at a club who, for a change, don't look like selling too many of their biggest assets this summer.

42. Alexandre Dujeux

After a journeyman playing career that ended in 2010, Alexandre Dujeux landed his first permanent job in management with Angers in March 2023 and proceeded to battle unsuccessfully against the Ligue 1 drop.

But a second-placed finish in the second tier saw his side bounce straight back. A tough start to the 2024/25 season back in the top flight followed, but the board would keep the faith and Dujeux’s proactive and positive style of play meant he was able to steady the ship and end the season in 14th place, with the 49-year-old’s reputation enhanced.

Le SCO are a tiny outfit so staying up is a real achievement. The board's faith in Dujeux has paid off handsomely, meanwhile, with the Ardennes native getting more than the sum of the parts on a shoestring budget: can they beat the odds again in 2026?

41. Ole Werner

He's out of work right now – but expect him to bounce back sooner rather than later.

One of German football’s rising stars, 37-year-old Ole Werner rose through the ranks at Holstein Kiel before landing the Werder Bremen job in November 2021, winning his first seven games at the newly-relegated side and leading them back to the Bundesliga at the first attempt.

Consolidation in the top flight followed, with Werner constantly moving the side forward on a limited budget before a parting of ways at the end of the 2024/25 season, amid reports that his ambition was not being matched by the club, meaning he is one of the hottest properties on the open market.

40. Eric Roy

Former Sunderland midfielder Roy has emerged as one of French football’s best managers over the past two years.

After taking over at Brest in January 2023, the 57-year-old steered the Brittany club out of relegation danger before propelling them to a third-place finish in his first full campaign in charge, bringing about European qualification for the first time in the club’s history. That they made the knockout play-offs was just as fantastic to see.

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Remarkably, this was his first management job since a 2012 spell at Nice, but Roy’s motivational powers have helped create a tight, disciplined side that are punching well above their weight.

With no European football to worry about next term, can Les Pirates upset the apple cart once more? Micah Richards certainly hopes so.

39. Inigo Perez

Much was made of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola's catastrophic life to English football, in which the seasiders didn't win until after Remembrance Day, with players struggling to come to terms with the Basque's high press. To compound issues, Iraola was without his assistant, Inigo Perez, who he couldn't bring with him from Rayo Vallecano due to visa issues.

Perez remained in Madrid and took the reins at Los Franjirrojos. This corner of the capital has been a hotbed of promising managers in recent years, and the same can now be said for the 37-year-old former Athletic Club midfielder who continues to perform miracles with the Spanish minnows.

After staving off relegation last year, Rayo are into Europe for the first time in over 20 years and deservedly so. Perez pushes his team into a willingness to take risks while maintaining a sense of order on the field.

Aged 37, we feel a big job further up the ladder either in Spain or further a-field could soon follow. Perhaps Perez and Iraola may come face to face in the Premier League before long…

38. Christophe Pelissier

Auxerre coaches are only ever going to be compared to Guy Roux, the legendary general in Burgundy for over 40 years. If Christophe Pelissier achieves half of what Roux did, he'll go down in history – but finishing 11th in Ligue 1 with a fraction of the budget of even some of the country's minnows is an impressive start.

The 59-year-old saw his side promoted back to France’s top tier only last year and has continued to build on their recent successes by playing with a low-block, counterattacking approach.

Named Ligue 2 Manager of the Year the season prior, Pelissier is performing well on a small budget and also previously won promotion to Ligue 1 with Lorient in 2020.

37. Julian Schuster

A season marked by transition at Freiburg was done with such class by Julian Schuster, despite his tender age of just 40.

Narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day of the Bundesliga season, Freiburg finished fifth, ensuring their highest finish since the mid-1990s.

Schuster sets his teams up in an organised mantra, making sure they understand their specific man-to-man roles, ensuring opponents' attacks are neutralised more than trying to counter them: after a decade in south-west Germany as a player, he's on course to become a modern legend in the dugout, too.

36. Liam Rosenior

A manager who perhaps Hull City will live to regret letting go, especially after another cataclysmic campaign in the Championship, Liam Rosenoir is making noise over in France after a brilliant season with Strasbourg.

A sister side of Chelsea, it would be easy to categorise Le Racing as getting handouts from a European giant in comparison to some of their rivals – but Rosenior has build a solid side across the park, platforming obvious star Andrey Santos but getting the best from Emanuel Emegha in attack, with Dilane Bakwa and Abakar Sylla two other future stars.

The Ligue 1 outfit will play European football next year, and Rosenoir is changing the game with his versatility when it comes to matching up against different opponents. We feel a return to England, and namely, the Premier League is only a matter of time away.

35. Claudio Giraldez

Considering Os Celestes' modest squad and shoestring spend, expectations have been low at Balaidos for a while.

One of the youngest managers in La Liga, Claudio Giraldez has enjoyed a whirlwind period as manager at Celta Vigo, however, first working with their youth sides before eventually being promoted to first-team boss when replacing Rafael Benitez in March 2024.

Praised for promoting youth and focusing on positional play, Celta qualified for the Europa League via a seventh-placed finish this season and will look to kick on with Giraldez at the helm heading into next year.

34. Sergio Conceicao

Is Sergio Conceicao unlucky not to be at Milan again next season?

There's certainly a case. The Portuguese delivered a Supercoppa mere weeks into the job with his trademark brilliance for the big occasion – he's well used to frustrating the biggest sides – but unfortunately, a poor league showing couldn't save him from the chop.

At Porto, he developed a reputation for making bold decisions, unafraid to drop technically gifted players for the greater good of his system. It's easy to see why it didn't work at an Italian behemoth, but that doesn't mean he's not still a top coach.

Milan are in a perilous position going forward, losing some of their top stars. As for Conceicao, it'll be intriguing to see where he heads next.

33. Bo Henriksen

Former Danish striker Bo Henriksen is punching well above his weight with Mainz in Germany, with resources and funds limited.

A team with virtually no recognised stars to those outside Germany will be one of the dark horses for the Conference League next year – and Henriksen is the massive driving force behind that.

Another who prioritises building a strong team culture and breeds players who dare and dream to win, his side finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season and were something of the surprise package across the season, finishing above the likes of RB Leipzig, Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach.

32. Carlos Corberan

Valencia hasn't always been the easiest place to work. It makes Carlos Corberan's tenure there look all the more impressive.

Having begun as Marcelo Bielsa’s assistant, Corberan is now forging a new path for himself in the dugout after decent spells in the Championship with Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion – and he's been fantastic since taking over at the Mestalla with the club bottom at Christmas.

They only lost three times from his hiring, and that was to the big three teams. It's been a fantastic turnaround, with excellent form forged from the likes of Javi Guerra, Enzo Barrenechea in midfield.

A win against Real Madrid in April not only helped consign Los Blancos to second in the table, it marked a magnificent turnaround from Corberan. Next season, Los Murcielagos will surely be targeting a return to Europe.

Corberan’s success has been built on his incredible game-to-game adaptability, tactical acumen and obsession with fine details and fitness.

31. Raffaele Palladino

After cutting his coaching teeth with Monza, Raffaele Palladino met an entirely different challenge taking on the Fiorentina gig.

Still a relative rarity at the top levels of the European game, much of Palladino’s plan rests on wing-backs, charged with providing width high up the pitch, defending in a high line, and occasionally inverting. In short: if you play there for Palladino, you better have done your bleep tests.

He took the Viola to sixth in the table, too, achieving the best spend-per-points total in the entirety of Serie A. The former winger has since left Florence, and it'll be intriguing to see where he heads next.

30. Roberto De Zerbi

There aren't many managers who influence Pep Guardiola.

Yet Roberto De Zerbi certainly left his stamp on the Premier League with dazzling build-up leading to a revolution of the high press in England.

“I had the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great,” the Catalan said of De Zerbi. “I didn't expect him to do it in this short space of time.”

Praised for transforming minnows Sassuolo and their fortunes, De Zerbi’s attacking-minded possession-based style of football had us on the edge of our seats during his time at Brighton, having performed quite the job whilst with the Seagulls on the south coast, yielding European football for the first time in the club's history.

With Marseille, he finished second in his opening season in France, earning him a first shot at Champions League football. He remains the likeliest challenger to overthrow France's other European champions, Paris Saint-Germain.

29. Vincenzo Italiano

It’s offensive focus first for Vincenzo Italiano and his style of football, with the Italian boss now making waves with Bologna after stellar spells elsewhere his homeland.

First came a stint at Spezia, in which he led the Eaglets to promotion into Serie A, before Fiorentina came calling in 2021. The Viola were excellent to watch during his tenure, too – but two narrow Conference League final defeats in a row defined his time at Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Italiano finally received his flowers this year, though eventually ending his trophy-less hoodoo by winning the Coppa Italia against Milan earlier. It's hugely deserved – and we can't wait to see where he takes Bologna next.

28. Luis de la Fuente

He succeeded where far more decorated coaches could and platformed Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal in such a way that convinced Hansi Flick that he desperately wanted to do the same.

Luis de la Fuente’s grounding in managing mercurial young talents in Spain’s youth teams had been underrated, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Known for his calm, empathetic leadership, De la Fuente blends possession-based, vertical football with numerical superiority in key areas. While stepping up from youth football to senior was once seen as a risky business in the international game, now it's deemed as a natural progression, thanks in part to that stunning Euro 2024 coach – against another coach who followed a similar path, in Gareth Southgate.

Yes, Spanish football's revolution owes plenty to its new platinum generation – but it takes the kind of guidance from the dugout that Vicente Del Bosque showed, with his flexibility and man-management of superstars. In that respect, De la Fuente is a natural successor.

Named the IFFHS Men's World Best National Coach last year, the 63-year-old former left-back is bringing Spain out of a tricky period following their 2010s slump, with the aim now to follow up on their success at the European Championships with further silverware at next year’s World Cup in the United States.

27. Dino Toppmoller

If you're the son of legendary chainsmoking Bayer Leverkusen chief Klaus Toppmoller, you're going to have something about you.

Utilising the pace of attackers like Hugo Ekitike and Omar Marmoush (now of Manchester City), son Dino has displayed just how devastating his transition-based approach to the game can be, as he follows from where Oliver Glasner left off.

Eintracht Frankfurt is Toppmoller's first major posting in one of Europe’s top leagues, but in just a couple of seasons, the German coach has taken Die Adler from a half-decent top-half side to their highest Bundesliga finish in over 30 years. Don't be surprised if he follows Glasner to the big time soon.

26. Thomas Tuchel

England manager Tuchel was appointed on the basis of a straightforward reputation and clear expectations. Yes, the arrangement would probably be brief. Yes, there would be people within Wembley’s walls who will emerge from the relationship with some fairly ripe opinions about their interactions. But he would win.

It wasn’t a decision taken without evidence. Tuchel is a bright and respected coach and a spiky character who is a three-time league champion in two countries, a cup winner in two countries, a treble winner, and a Champions League winner. That’s all since 2017.

He was always likely to end up in international football though, simply due to the way in which he transformed clubs he went to. He's never been known for bringing his generals along with him – Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting aside – instead, leaning on the A-list talents he inherits.

He was the perfect man to follow Jurgen Klopp in the Borussia Dortmund dugout, injecting life into a tired team and winning the DFB-Pokal. At Paris Saint-Germain, he got the best from Neymar in a dual-no.10 set-up that platformed the club's superstars – while at Chelsea, he configured an innovative three-man high press and 3-4-3 system that leant on rotating the club's many talents weekly.

He just knows how to get the best out of superstars. That makes him prime candidate to follow where Gareth Southgate couldn't.

Tuchel is astute, flexible and has balls of steel: who else would have taken the ‘Impossible Job’ at the peak of their powers? Tuchel’s stated affection for the English game gives him a degree of reverence for the job but if he can improve on the work of predecessor Gareth Southgate, it might just be his greatest triumph yet.