Spain's World Cup-Winning Coach Not Among Top 10 Highest-Paid Managers

Luis de la Fuente, the architect of Spain's World Cup and European Championship triumphs, finds himself outside the top 10 highest-paid national team coaches at the recent World Cup. A report by The Mirror, cited by Spanish media, places de la Fuente, 65, at 15th among 48 coaches, earning 2 million euros annually.

This salary places him considerably behind the highest earners. Italy's Carlo Ancelotti leads the pack, reportedly earning 10 million euros annually as coach of Brazil. Germany's Julian Nagelsmann follows with 7 million euros for coaching "the elf" (the German national team), and Argentina's Mauricio Pochettino earns 6 million euros with the U.S. national team.

Other notable coaches with higher salaries include Germany's Thomas Tuchel (5.8 million euros), Roberto Martinez of Portugal and Fabio Cannavaro of Uzbekistan (both 4 million euros), and Didier Deschamps of France (3.8 million euros). The list also includes coaches like Ronald Koeman (Netherlands) and Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay) earning 3 million euros, and Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) at 2.3 million euros.

De la Fuente's contract extension was announced in January 2025, following Spain's European Championship victory. His current earnings, while substantial, underscore a notable pay gap within the international coaching community, especially considering his recent successes.