Who was the first person to win the World Cup as both player and manager?

Mario Zagallo was the first person to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager.

Zagallo won his first two World Cups with Brazil as a player. He started on the left wing in the 1958 tournament in Sweden, scoring in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5–2. He was also part of Brazil’s victorious squad at the 1962 World Cup in Chile.

After retiring, Zagallo moved into coaching and led Brazil to the 1970 title in Mexico. Brazil defeated Italy 4–1 in the final, and the victory made Zagallo the first individual to win the competition in both roles. He was only 38 when he coached Brazil to that triumph.

The achievement is often confused with the later records of Franz Beckenbauer and Didier Deschamps. Both also won as player and manager, but they came afterward: Beckenbauer in 1974 and 1990, and Deschamps in 1998 and 2018. Zagallo additionally helped Brazil win in 1994 as assistant coach and coordinator.