Serbian media surprised by Croatian coach Zlatko Dalić's salary

Serbian media outlets have voiced surprise regarding the annual salary of Zlatko Dalić, the coach of the Croatian national football team. Dalić earns 1.5 million euros per year, a figure that places him at the lower end of the spectrum among national team coaches participating in the 2026 World Cup.

According to a report by Finance Football, which compiled a list of the highest-paid national team managers for the upcoming World Cup, Dalić is ranked 20th. This ranking comes despite his success in leading Croatia to second and third place finishes in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

The list is topped by Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian coach of Brazil, who commands an annual salary of 10 million euros. Germany's coach, Julian Nagelsmann, follows in second place with 7 million euros, while Mauricio Pochettino, coaching the United States, is third with 6 million euros. Other high earners include Thomas Tuchel (England) at approximately 5.8 million euros, and Roberto Martínez (Portugal) and Fabio Cannavaro (Uzbekistan) both earning around 4 million euros annually.

Didier Deschamps of France earns 3.8 million euros, with Ronald Koeman (Netherlands) and Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay) tied at 3 million euros. The top 10 is rounded out by coaches earning 2.5 million euros, including Jesse Marsch (Canada), Javier Aguirre (Mexico), and Gustavo Alfaro (Paraguay). Notably, the current World Cup champion coach, Lionel Scaloni of Argentina, is listed as the 14th highest-paid coach with an annual salary of 2.3 million euros during his tenure with Argentina.

Dalić's salary of 1.5 million euros places him in a tie for 20th position with Ralf Rangnick, the German coach of the Austrian national team. The Serbian media's reaction highlights a perceived disparity between Dalić's earnings and his significant achievements with the Croatian team.