Carlos Queiroz is no stranger to the World Cup stage. The 73-year-old is making his fifth consecutive appearance as a national team manager at the 2026 edition, where he now leads Ghana — a remarkable run that spans two decades of international football at the highest level.

A remarkable World Cup record

Queiroz guided his native Portugal to the 2010 World Cup, then steered Iran to three straight tournaments in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Before all of that, he had even led South Africa through qualification for the 2002 edition, though he departed before the tournament kicked off in Japan and South Korea.

His connection to the World Cup is, however, just one chapter in an extraordinarily long coaching story.

From Old Trafford to the Bernabéu and back

In England, Queiroz became widely known through two stints as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United. A former goalkeeper by trade, he first arrived at Old Trafford for the 2002/03 season, having already managed Portugal under-20s, the senior Portugal side, Sporting, NY/NJ Metrostars, Nagoya Grampus Eight, and the UAE.

His impressive work at Manchester United caught the eye of Real Madrid, who appointed him as their manager in the summer of 2003. He inherited a squad dripping with talent — Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Raul, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Claude Makelele, and David Beckham among them — yet the season proved difficult. Real Madrid finished fourth in La Liga, fell to Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey final, and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the quarter-finals following a shock defeat to Monaco.

Queiroz returned to Manchester United, this time spending four years at the club. He played a meaningful role in the rebuild centred around Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, contributing to the side's UEFA Champions League triumph in 2007/08. His second spell was not without controversy, though — Roy Keane's well-documented falling-out with Queiroz was cited as a factor in the midfielder's eventual departure from the club.

A career built on international football

Since leaving Manchester United in 2008 to take charge of Portugal, Queiroz has devoted himself entirely to international management. His tenure as Portugal boss ended abruptly — he was dismissed following their round-of-16 exit to eventual champions Spain at the 2010 World Cup, though the official reason for his sacking related to alleged interference with the country's anti-doping authority during the build-up to the tournament.

The years that followed brought an extraordinary variety of assignments: Iran, Colombia, Egypt, Iran again, Qatar, and Oman, before Ghana came calling ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Among those postings, leading Iran to three consecutive World Cups stands as a significant achievement. He also guided Egypt to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final, where they were beaten on penalties by Senegal.

Now, with Ghana, Queiroz adds yet another chapter to one of international football's most travelled coaching careers.