Winning the FIFA World Cup is no easy task. The competition is fierce, the lights are bright, and the stakes are the highest in the sport. Being part of the team that hoists the trophy is a career-defining achievement for players and managers alike. Only a select few have won soccer's biggest prize both as a player and as a manager. Here is a look at the three men who have done it.
Didier Deschamps
▪︎ As a player: 1998
▪︎ As a manager: 2018
As captain of the France national team, Deschamps won the World Cup on July 12, 1998, leading the squad to a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final in his native country. He then managed the Frenchmen to the title 20 years later, dropping Croatia 4-2 in the final on July 15, 2018, in Moscow. It marked France's first appearance in the World Cup finale since 2006.
Franz Beckenbauer
▪︎ As a player: 1974
▪︎ As a manager: 1990
Born in Munich, Beckenbauer led Germany's "golden generation" to the World Cup title on home soil on July 7, 1974. The then-West Germany squad defeated the Netherlands 2-1 on a decisive goal by Gerd Müller in the 43rd minute.
After winning the 1972 and 1976 Ballon d'Or awards, Beckenbauer retired from professional soccer in 1983, a day after his 38th birthday. He then took over as Germany's manager, leading the national team to two World Cup finals and a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 1990 tournament finale in Italy. Beckenbauer was named Germany's Footballer of the Century in 2000.
Mário Zagallo
▪︎ As a player: 1958 and 1962
▪︎ As a manager: 1970
▪︎ As an assistant: 1994
Zagallo is the first person to win a World Cup as both a player and a manager. The Brazilian soccer royal reached the World Cup final a record five times, winning four. His first title came on June 29, 1958, when the 26-year-old forward scored the final goal in Brazil's 5-2 victory over host Sweden. He then captured his second World Cup crown in 1962 in Chile, playing in Brazil's 3-1 win over Czechoslovakia.
Zagallo hung up his cleats shortly before the 1966 World Cup and then returned to the Brazil national team as a manager in 1970. With Zagallo at the helm, Brazil demolished Italy 4-1 in the final, becoming the tournament's first three-time champion.
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