[Saba Sports News] Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in their opening World Cup match. At the age of 73 years and 108 days, Ghana head coach Carlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz has become the oldest manager to secure a win in World Cup history.
Before this match, the record belonged to German Otto Rehhagel. He steered Greece to a victory during the group stage of the 2010 World Cup, aged 72 years and 317 days at the South African tournament. That said, Queiroz is not the oldest coach taking charge at the 2026 World Cup. Three managers are older than him: Hugo Broos, head coach of South Africa, who is 74 years and two months old; Miroslav Koubek of the Czech Republic, aged 74 years and nine months; and Dirk Nicolaas Advocaat, coach of Curaçao, who is 78 years and eight months old. All three suffered defeats in their opening fixtures, however.
Records show this marks Queiroz’s fifth consecutive World Cup participation. He managed Portugal in 2010 and led Iran at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The only World Cup where the legendary coach failed to claim at least one victory was the edition hosted by Brazil.
In my view, this milestone is not only a landmark in Queiroz’s personal career but also a powerful rebuttal to the prejudice that age limits coaching competence. This triumph proves his counterattack-focused defensive tactics remain razor-sharp. He successfully contained Panama’s attacking threat and secured three points via a stoppage-time winner, silencing outside doubts over his stamina and adaptability.