3 legendary footballers who have won the World Cup as a player and manager

Winning a World Cup is not an easy achievement in football. Unlike club football, the opportunity to win a World Cup comes once in four years and the competition is really intense.

Some of the legendary footballers like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Ferenc Puskas, Oliver Kahn, Michel Platini, Paola Maldini, Eusebio, Alfredo Di Stefano, and many more have not won the trophy during their playing days.

Also, some of the legends of the game like Bobby Charlton, Diego Maradona, and Lothar Matthaus have won the World Cup as a player but failed as a manager in the tournament. There is a saying in sports that great players don’t always make great managers.

However, few footballers have defied the odds and went on to win the World Cup as a player and manager. The list is very small and only three people in the history of world football have achieved this unique feat.

Without much ado, let's take a look at the three legendary footballers who have won the World Cup as a player and manager.

#3 Mario Zagallo

Zagallo - Two-time World Champion as a player

Mario Zagallo was a part of the famous Brazil squad that lifted the World Cup title in 1958 and 1962. Zagallo has played alongside Pele in the Brazil national team for many years and was capped 33 times between 1958 and 1964.

Primarily a left winger, the Brazilian can also play as a striker and has scored five goals in his career. He became the first person to win the FIFA World Cup as a player and as a manager. He did it in 1970 as a manager when he led Brazil to their third World Cup title. He was only 38 then and became the second youngest manager to win a World Cup title.

Mario Zagallo also won the title in 1994, but this time as an assistant manager for Brazil. To honour his outstanding contribution to the game of football, Zagallo was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit (highest honour given by FIFA) in 1992.

#2 Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer with the 1974 World Cup trophy after his team defeated the Netherlands 2-1

One of the most influential personalities in world football, Franz Beckenbauer is one of the greatest German footballers of all-time. He has won the European Footballer of the Year twice in his illustrious and trophy-laden career.

Primarily a defender, Beckenbauer has played 103 times for West Germany and scored 14 goals. Beckenbauer won the World Cup title as a player for West Germany in 1974. As a manager, he led them to the finals of the 1986 World Cup but lost to Diego Maradona’s Argentina.

Four years later, he won the World Cup title for West Germany and became only the second person to accomplish the stunning feat of winning FIFA World Cup title as a player and manager. He was hugely successful in his entire footballing career both as a player and manager.

#1 Didier Deschamps

France v Croatia - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final

Didier Deschamps joined the elite list on Sunday when he led France to their second World Cup title. Primarily a defensive midfielder during his playing career, Deschamps has played for some of the top European clubs like Juventus, Valencia, Chelsea, and Marseille.

Deschamps has won most of the major titles in European football as a player. He has played 103 times for France and led his team to victory in the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championships.

He became the manager of the France national team in 2012 and led them to the finals of 2016 European Championships where they lost to Portugal in the final. His biggest success as a manager came in the 2018 World Cup. He led France to the title and became only the third person to win it as a player and manager.