Deschamps accepts the challenge: he can equal Pozzo

Pozzo led Italy to two World Cup titles. He won them in 1934 and, four years later, at France '38. Now Didier Deschamps is in a position to join him.

Deschamps is one of three people to have won the WC as a player and as a coach, alongside Brazil's Mario 'Lobo' Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer.

The 54-year-old from Bayonne captained the French national team to the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 title as a player, and at the last World Cup in Russia 2018, he led them to the top as coach.

He now has the option of making a similar achievement with a team that includes many of the players who beat Croatia in the final at Luzhniki, which would be a historic achievement.

At Qatar 2022, the youngest coach of the 32 national teams will be Argentina's Lionel Scaloni at 44, two years younger than Spain's Felix Sanchez, Qatar coach.

Scaloni started as an interim but the results have secured him in the job and his team is going unabated. Argentina go into the tournament on a magnificent unbeaten run and with the Copa America and Finalissima titles under their belts.

Netherlands' Louis van Gaal will be the oldest at 71. He is in his third spell in charge of the national team, which he led to third place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.