Oldest coach at the football (soccer) FIFA World Cup

Oldest coach at the football (soccer) FIFA World Cup
Who
Dick Advocaat
What
78:271 year(s):day(s)
Where
United States (Philadelphia)
When
25 June 2026

The oldest coach at the football (soccer) FIFA World Cup is Dick Advocaat (Netherlands, b. 27 September 1947), who was aged 78 years 271 days when Curaçao played Côte d’Ivoire in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on 25 June 2026.

The record for the World Cup’s oldest coach was broken three times in four days at the 2026 tournament – first by South Africa’s manager Hugo Broos (74 years 62 days), then Miroslav Koubek of Czechia (74 years 283 days). Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat took the record for himself when Curaçao – the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup – played their opening match, a 7–1 defeat to Germany. Advocaat extended it with their subsequent group games against Ecuador and Côte d’Ivoire.