Top 10 Best Football Coaches 2025: Ancelotti’s Absence And A Worthy Number One Surprise

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) has officially unveiled its annual rankings for the world’s best national team coaches, and the results underscore a period of undisputed Spanish supremacy. As the footballing world prepares for the transition into a World Cup year, these rankings provide a definitive look at the tactical minds currently shaping the international game.

De La Fuente’s Historic Supremacy

For the second consecutive year, Spain’s Luis de la Fuente has been crowned the world's best national team coach. Accumulating a staggering 136 points, De la Fuente finished well clear of his closest competitors, cementing his status as the premier strategist in modern international football.

This accolade follows a historic 2024 campaign where he led La Roja to European glory, but his 2025 performance proved that his success was no fluke. Under his guidance, Spain successfully navigated a convincing World Cup qualifying campaign, securing their ticket to the 2026 tournament with ease. More impressively, De la Fuente oversaw a record-breaking 31-match unbeaten streak, surpassing Spain’s previous "Golden Generation" milestones. This consistent excellence has allowed Spain to reclaim the number one spot in the official FIFA rankings, finally overtaking the long-standing leaders, Argentina.

The timing of this award adds extra spice to the international calendar. On March 27, 2026, in Doha, De la Fuente will lead his record-breaking side against the third-placed coach on this list, Lionel Scaloni, in the highly anticipated Finalissima. The clash between the European and South American champions is being viewed as the ultimate litmus test before the 2026 World Cup begins.

The Top Ten Landscape

While De la Fuente sits comfortably at the summit, the rest of the top ten reveals an interesting shift in global power dynamics. Roberto Martínez secured the second spot with 83 points, credited with revitalizing the Portugal national team into a cohesive, high-scoring unit. Lionel Scaloni, the winner of this title in 2022 and 2023, remains a top-tier force in third place with 59 points, despite Argentina's slight slip in the global rankings.

Emerging as a surprise high-performer is Norway’s Stale Solbakken in fourth, while Thomas Tuchel rounds out the top five following his high-profile appointment to the England national team. The list also highlights the global nature of the sport, with Uzbekistan’s Timur Kapadze earning a prestigious eighth-place finish, reflecting the rapid rise of Asian football.

The Ancelotti Absence And The Brazil Rebuild

Perhaps the most notable omission from the IFFHS top ten is Carlo Ancelotti. The legendary Italian strategist, who officially took the reins of the Brazilian national team last May, failed to make the cut. While his pedigree at the club level is unmatched, his first seven months with the Seleção have been a period of difficult transition.

Under Ancelotti, Brazil has managed a modest record of 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, ending the 2026 qualifying cycle in a disappointing 5th place overall. However, the true test for "Don Carlo" lies ahead. Brazil has been drawn into Group C for the 2026 World Cup alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

While the group is considered manageable, the pressure on Ancelotti is immense. Brazil is currently enduring a 24-year drought since their last world title in 2002. For Ancelotti to justify his absence from the 2025 list, he must find a way to translate his tactical genius into international gold and restore the "Samba" flair to a team that has struggled for consistency in recent months.

Looking Ahead To 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, the IFFHS rankings suggest that the gap between Spain and the rest of the world is widening. With Luis de la Fuente at the helm, Spain enters the World Cup year as the team to beat. However, with tactical heavyweights like Scaloni, Martínez, and Tuchel lurking just behind—and Ancelotti eager to prove his worth on the world’s biggest stage—the race for the 2026 throne remains wide open.