Which person won the FIFA World Cup as a player (1974) and as a head coach (1990)?

Franz Beckenbauer won the FIFA World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a head coach in 1990.

In 1974, Beckenbauer captained West Germany at the tournament hosted in his own country. West Germany fell behind the Netherlands in the final but recovered to win 2–1, giving Beckenbauer the distinction of lifting the trophy as captain. He played as a libero, or attacking sweeper, a role he helped redefine through his passing and ability to carry the ball forward.

Sixteen years later, Beckenbauer managed West Germany at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. His team defeated Argentina 1–0 in the final, securing the country’s third men’s World Cup. The victory made him one of only a very small group to win the tournament both on the field and from the technical area.

Mario Zagallo is a frequent source of confusion because he also won World Cups as player and coach, but not in the years named here. Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona did not match Beckenbauer’s exact player-and-coach achievement.