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World Cup 2026: Oldest Coach Record Set to Be Broken Three Times in Opening Days
🇬🇷 Greece /Sports

World Cup 2026: Oldest Coach Record Set to Be Broken Three Times in Opening Days

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A unique World Cup record for the oldest coach will be broken multiple times during the tournament's first three days.
  • Otto Rehhagel's 2010 record of 71 years and 317 days will be surpassed by Hugo Broos of South Africa.
  • Miroslav Koubek of the Czech Republic and Dick Advocaat of Curaçao will then set new records, with Advocaat becoming the oldest at 78.

The 2026 World Cup is set to witness a remarkable shift in its coaching records, with the title of the oldest coach expected to change hands not once, but three times within the tournament's opening days.

The current record, held by Otto Rehhagel since 2010, stands at 71 years and 317 days when he led Greece in South Africa. This benchmark will first be surpassed by Hugo Broos, the 74-year-old coach of South Africa.

However, Broos's new record will be short-lived. Just hours later, Miroslav Koubek, coaching the Czech Republic, will take the title at 74 years and 283 days, becoming the oldest coach in World Cup history at that point.

The final and most significant record-breaking moment will come on Sunday when Dick Advocaat, the veteran Dutch coach, leads Curaçao. At 78 years old, Advocaat is poised to set a new record that is unlikely to be challenged in the near future.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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