Carlos Queiroz set for World Cup milestone as Ghana begin campaign against Panama

Carlos Queiroz is poised to enter the history books this week as one of football’s most enduring World Cup figures, even though he remains one tournament short of matching the record for most consecutive appearances by a coach.

The veteran Portuguese tactician takes charge of Ghana as they open their Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday, adding another chapter to a global coaching career that has spanned more than four decades.

Queiroz’s World Cup journey began with Portugal in 2010 before he led Iran to three successive tournaments in 2014, 2018 and 2022. That sequence places him level with the record set by Bora Milutinović, who managed at five straight World Cups between 1986 and 2002 with different national teams.

While Brazil’s Carlos Alberto Parreira holds the overall record for World Cup coaching appearances with six editions, his involvement was not consecutive.

Queiroz’s path to this tournament only reopened in April, when Ghana appointed him to replace Otto Addo following a disappointing run of friendly results. At the time, his long career appeared to be winding down after his most recent spell in Oman, adding to a résumé that has taken him across eight national teams.

His return also extends a career that has included high-profile roles at Real Madrid and as assistant manager at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Respected in Portugal for his influence on youth development, Queiroz is credited with helping shape a generation of players through Portugal’s back-to-back U-20 World Cup triumphs in 1989 and 1991, producing talents such as Luís Figo, Paulo Sousa and João Pinto.

However, his career has often divided opinion. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane once famously described him as having “the personality of a dead fly,” a remark that contrasted sharply with admiration from supporters in his homeland, where he is viewed as a pioneer of modern coaching education.

Queiroz himself has consistently pointed to experience as his greatest asset. “I am prepared for this,” he said on taking the Ghana job. “I bring 40 years of experience to every decision that will be made.”

Now, as Ghana begin their latest World Cup campaign, the 73-year-old stands on the brink of another defining moment in a career already etched deep into football’s modern history.