▲ Ghana national team manager Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz, the veteran Portuguese manager known for his complicated history with South Korean football, has set a new record as the oldest manager to win a match at a FIFA World Cup.
The Ghana national team secured a 1-0 victory against Panama in their opening Group L match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, held at Toronto Stadium in Ontario, Canada, on June 17 (local time), thanks to a winning goal by Caleb Irenki in second-half stoppage time.
Born on March 1, 1953, Queiroz, at 73 years and 3 months old, surpassed the previous record for the oldest manager to win a World Cup match, held by former Greece manager Otto Rehhagel, who was 71 years and 10 months old during the 2010 South Africa World Cup.
Queiroz is a familiar figure to South Korean football fans.
Having previously managed the national teams of South Africa and Portugal, Queiroz was often dubbed a "nuisance" by South Korean fans for frequently standing in the way of South Korea's success while managing the Iranian national team from 2011 to 2019.
In June 2013, during the final Asian qualifying round for the 2014 Brazil World Cup held in Ulsan, he sparked controversy after his Iran side defeated South Korea 1-0, when he made an offensive gesture toward the South Korean bench.
Despite the controversies, Queiroz has been recognized as a world-class manager, known for his diverse tactical approach, strong charisma, and exceptional psychological warfare.
After stints managing the national teams of Colombia, Egypt, Qatar, and Oman, Queiroz was appointed as the head coach of Ghana in April, just two months before the start of the World Cup.
"We fought like warriors and won with wisdom," Queiroz said after the match. "We knew how the opponent would play and expected that we would concede possession. We chose to win by systematically blocking their attacks."
Ghana recorded 37% ball possession in the match, trailing Panama (56%).
However, with a dramatic late goal, they secured three points, significantly increasing their chances of advancing to the round of 32, which includes the third-place teams from each group.
Making their fifth appearance in the World Cup finals, Ghana is aiming to match or exceed their best-ever performance, a quarter-final finish at the 2010 South Africa tournament.
Meanwhile, Queiroz's title as the oldest manager to win a World Cup match could be broken again during this tournament.
Dick Advocaat, the Dutch manager of Curaçao, a small Caribbean island nation, was born on September 27, 1947, and is 78 years old.
Hugo Broos (Belgium) of South Africa, who is in the same group as South Korea, was born on April 10, 1952, and is 74 years old, while Miroslav Koubek of the Czech Republic, also in South Korea's group, was born on September 1, 1951, and is 74 years old; all are older than Queiroz.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.