Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portugal national team are considered top contenders for the 2026 World Cup championship. However, a “curse” that has lasted through 22 World Cups could become a major obstacle to CR7’s ambitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo is facing the final opportunity of his career to conquer the prestigious World Cup golden trophy. However, a statistic stretching over the 90-year history of the tournament is becoming a rather negative omen for the Portuguese superstar’s ambitions.
From the first World Cup in 1930 until now, no national team has ever been crowned champion with a head coach of a different nationality than the team they manage. In other words, all 22 men’s World Cup champions in history have been led by native tacticians.
This is considered one of the most enduring and inexplicable “curses” in world football. Although modern football is increasingly globalized and foreign managers continuously achieve success at the club level, the World Cup remains a playground absolutely dominated by domestic managers.
Historically, only two foreign managers have come very close to breaking this rule. They are George Raynor, who took Sweden to the 1958 World Cup final, and Ernst Happel with the Netherlands at the 1978 World Cup. However, both failed in the final match.
It is worth noting that the 2026 World Cup features several championship contenders being managed by foreign coaches. Ronaldo’s Portugal is currently steered by Roberto Martínez (Spanish). Meanwhile, the England national team is led by Thomas Tuchel (German), and Brazil places its faith in Carlo Ancelotti (Italian).
On paper, all three of these teams possess some of the strongest squads in the tournament. Portugal has a golden generation combining Ronaldo’s experience with a roster of high-quality young stars. England boasts impressive squad depth, while Brazil is always a top contender for every World Cup.
Even so, if the “foreign manager curse” continues to exert its power at the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo’s ambition to lift the golden trophy could once again be left unfulfilled. By then, the 41-year-old superstar will likely close his international career without being able to complete the biggest missing dream in his massive collection of titles.
