We’re in the most exciting part of the World Cup — the knockout stage. Half the qualifying teams were eliminated in the group stage, and now we have a bracket-style march to the championship.
As we work our way toward this event’s winner, here’s a look at the 10 highest-paid managers whose clubs made an appearance at FIFA World Cup 2022.
The 10 Highest Paid Managers At The 2022 FIFA World Cup
#10: Murat Yakin, Switzerland — $1.65 million
Though he’s the lowest on this list, Yakin’s salary is a big deal for the Swiss. He joined the club after the Euro 2020 tournament, looking to build on the success of some of his previous stops. Switzerland probably isn’t anyone’s favorite to win the entire World Cup, but Yakin has a great opportunity to turn some heads with a surprise run through the bracket. It starts with a matchup against Santos and Portugal.
#9: Fernando Santos, Portugal — $2.25 million
Fernando Santos has been the head man in charge of Portugal since 2014. The team has had a steady stream of success in the following years, including a Euro 2016 title and UEFA Nations League championship in 2018-19. His next conquest is a World Cup, which would be a nice prize after a disappointing finish in Euro 2020 when Portugal was eliminated in the Round of 16.
#8: Félix Sánchez Bas, Qatar — $2.45 million
The host country of FIFA World Cup 2022 has poured millions of dollars into infrastructure and promotion for the tournament, so perhaps it’s no surprise that Qatar is paying its manager very well, too. Though Félix Sánchez Bas led Qatar to the 2019 AFC Asia Cup, he couldn’t duplicate that success this year, with the team falling short of the knockout stage.
#7: Lionel Scaloni, Argentina — $2.65 million
During the 2018 World Cup, Lionel Scaloni served as an assistant for the Argentinian national team under Jorge Sampaoli. Scaloni has breathed fresh air into the roster, with the club winning Copa America last year. Now, in Lionel Messi’s final World Cup, Scaloni will look to bring home a title for Argentina.
#6: Gerardo Martino, Mexico — $2.95 million
Gerardo Martino had a string of solid success with the Mexican team, posting a 42-12-12 record in 66 matches. He also had strong tenures at Barcelona, Argentina, and Atlanta United FC. Yet all of that didn’t matter in this year’s World Cup. The Argentine Martino couldn’t lead Mexico past the group stage, and the club fired him shortly after Mexico was eliminated.
#5: Louis van Gaal, Netherlands — $2.95 million
Louis van Gaal is the oldest coach at Qatar 2022, but as the Americans quickly learned, experience pays off. The Netherlands, who finished third in the 2014 World Cup behind van Gaal, defeated the United States 3-1 in the first match of the knockout stage. The Dutch have aspirations to go even further this year.
Louis van Gaal (VI Images via Getty Images)
#4: Tite, Brazil — $3.65 million
Brazilian fans likely still have nightmares about the 2014 World Cup, which included a terrible 7-1 loss to Germany. Manager Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, better known as Tite, has helped turn the ship around, including a 2019 Copa America title. But Tite and Brazil still haven’t hoisted the World Cup trophy. This could be their best chance to do it — and it would be a fitting end to what is likely Brazilian star Neymar’s last World Cup run.
#3: Dieder Deschamps, France — $3.85 million
France is the reigning World Cup champion, so the team will look to continue its success from four years ago. Unfortunately, Deschamps has his work cut out for him. The spotlight of trying to repeat will be bright, and the team is already struggling with injuries.
#2: Gareth Southgate, England — $5.85 million
England had a brutal performance during Euro 2016, and Gareth Southgate took over shortly afterward. Turns out, he was the kick in the pants the team needed. Southgate led England to the Euro 2020 championship and helped the English club reach the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup. He’ll look to build on that success this year.
#1: Hans-Dieter Flick, Germany — $6.55 million
Hans-Dieter Flick joined the German national team with a lot of fanfare. He was thriving at Bayern Munich but left last season to follow his dream of coaching at the national level. When Germany won it all in 2014, Flick was an assistant manager to Joachim Löw. After Germany failed to make it to the Round of 16 in 2018, fans had high expectations for Flick and company. But after some uneven play (and bad luck thanks to a video review in another match), Germany once again failed to make it past the group stage.