*This content was translated by AI.
With the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup final set to feature a showdown between Spain and Argentina, the curse preventing foreign coaches from leading their teams to World Cup victory has now persisted for 96 years.
Ahead of the final clash, Spain is led by Luis de la Fuente (65, Spanish) and Argentina by Lionel Scaloni (48, Argentine), meaning whichever team wins will be crowned champion under a national coach.
Since the inaugural tournament in 1930, no team coached by a foreign manager has ever won the World Cup. This stands in stark contrast to club competitions like the UEFA Champions League, where top-tier managers of any nationality regularly achieve success, such as Spain's Luis Enrique guiding Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to the title.
This time around, however, there was hope that the curse might finally be broken: Thomas Tuchel (German) led England, while Carlo Ancelotti (Brazilian), known as a "championship contractor," took charge of Brazil. Both Tuchel and Ancelotti had already achieved significant success at the club level.
However, Brazil under Ancelotti was eliminated in the Round of 16 after losing to Norway. England, led by Tuchel, defeated that same Norway side in the quarterfinals and reached the semifinals but could not overcome Argentina's defense before being eliminated. England was the only semifinalist with a foreign coach. With England's exit, the World Cup curse involving foreign coaches has now continued for 96 years.
Meanwhile, Spain and Argentina will face off in the highly anticipated final on the 20th at 4 a.m. at New Jersey Stadium in New York, USA. For Spain, this marks their first final appearance since 2010 — 16 years later — and their second overall. Argentina, having won in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will aim for back-to-back titles, their fourth final appearance overall. If Spain wins, they will join France and Uruguay with two titles each, tying for fifth place all-time. Argentina would move into a tie for second place alongside Germany and Italy, just behind Brazil's record five titles. Their head-to-head record stands at 6 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses — perfectly balanced. This final also features the top two teams in the FIFA rankings.
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*This content was translated by AI.
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