The 2022 World Cup is set to be a masterclass in managerial one-upmanship as some of the world's top coaches clash on the global stage. Forget the glamour of the ball, the adoration of the crowd and the drama of the pitch – it's time for the real stars of show: the managers. And what a line-up they have assembled! Grizzled veterans with international pedigree will go toe-to-toe with highly successful club bosses who are trading their domestic success for a crack at the ultimate prize.
England, Brazil and the USA have all opted to bring in high-profile 'gun-for-hire' super-coaches like Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino, whose impressive club records will be put to the test on the international stage. Will they prove that their winning formula can translate seamlessly to the World Cup, or will more experienced hands like Carlos Queiroz – a man who's managed multiple national teams with ease – expose their limitations?
The fixtures are already shaping up to be a managerial dream ticket. Lionel Scaloni, the Argentine boss who rose through the ranks to lead his country to glory, takes on Ralf Rangnick, the 'gegenpress egghead' who rode into town at 63 to take charge of Austria. Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps – one half of France's most successful managerial partnership – faces off against Graham Arnold, a man whose managerial CV is more Aussie rules than international flair.
But it's the Tuesday showdown between Portugal and Uzbekistan that could be the real litmus test: Roberto Martínez versus Fabio Cannavaro. The 41-year-old Portuguese boss has built his team around superstar talent, but will he have what it takes to outsmart the man who won the Ballon d'Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach? And then there's Tuchel versus Queiroz – a clash of styles that promises to be nothing short of explosive.
The question on everyone's lips is this: do club and international management really require different skill sets? If the likes of Tuchel, Ancelotti and Pochettino come out on top in their World Cup debut, it could signal a seismic shift in the way federations approach recruitment. Will the traditional icons and veteran specialists like Queiroz, Renard and Advocaat be cast aside in favour of the new breed? The 2022 World Cup may just hold the answer.