Luis de la Fuente Tops Ranking of Oldest Managers to Win FIFA World Cup
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente made history by topping the list of oldest managers to win a World Cup. At 65 years old, he led Spain to a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in the 2026 final.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has set a new Guinness World record in international football. He has officially become the oldest FIFA World Cup winning manager after Spain defeated Argentina in a 1-0 extra-time in the 2026 World Cup final.
Vicente del Bosque who is also a Spanish coach like Fauente previously held this record since their 2010 World Cup win. Spain also set a record by conceding only one goal in eight matches throughout the tournament.
Spain’s Record Victory Over Argentina at FIFA World Cup 2026
Spain won their second FIFA World Cup title in 2026 at MetLife Stadium through a 106th minute goal from substitute Ferran Torres who scored off a header from Nico Williams.
Argentina fell short despite 12 saves from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. They were down to ten men after Enzo Fernandez received a red card late in normal time.
Guinness World Records confirmed via their X handle that De la Fuente is now the oldest coach to win the tournament.
All the records Spain broke during the World Cup:
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) July 19, 2026
Most clean sheets - 7
Least goals conceded - 1
Oldest Manager to win the World Cup - Luis de la Fuente
Longest unbeaten run in competitive Men’s matches - 38
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After the final, De la Fuente praised his team's effort and growth:
"I feel so much pride for this generation of footballers, who have kept improving, always faithful to our idea of football," De la Fuente said as reported by The Athletic.
Who are 5 Oldest Managers to Win the FIFA World Cup?
De la Fuente’s team victory puts him at the top of the oldest World Cup winning managers but hereon we have the ranking of other coaches whose rankings in this record have been reshuffled after the FIFA 2026 final match.
| Rank | World Cup Winning Manager | Team | Age at Victory | World Cup Year |
| 1 | Luis de la Fuente | Spain | 65 years, 28 days | 2026 |
| 2 | Vicente del Bosque | Spain | 59 years, 220 days | 2010 |
| 3 | Helmut Schön | West Germany | 58 years, 295 days | 1974 |
| 4 | Marcello Lippi | Italy | 58 years, 88 days | 2006 |
| 5 | Sepp Herberger | West Germany | 57 years, 98 days | 1954 |
This World Cup win follows Spain’s success at UEFA Euro 2024 as a rare double for the national team. De la Fuente spent years coaching Spain's youth squads and winning European titles with both the Under-19 and Under-21 teams. He took over the senior team coaching job in late 2022. His steady approach has now produced two consecutive major trophies for Spain and himself.
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