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World Cup 2026 Coaches’ Watches: A Complete Guide to Every Manager’s Timepiece
Between tactical shouts and touchline pacing, several World Cup 2026 head coaches have quietly turned heads with what's on their wrists. From a Japan-exclusive Hublot built for the national team to a discontinued Rolex now worth more than its original retail price, this year's coaching bench is as interesting from a watch standpoint as it is from a football one. Here's what each manager is wearing.
Hajime Moriyasu (Japan)
Hajime Moriyasu wears the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Titanium Blue Victory (ref. 521.NX.7170.NR.JFA), a 45mm watch made specifically as the Official Watch of the Japan National Football Team. Hublot has held that role since 2015, and this particular edition was unveiled exclusively for Japan in February 2026. The titanium case houses the HUB1143 self-winding chronograph movement with a 48-hour power reserve, and the dark blue dial is built around the team's "Samurai Blue" color identity, complete with a football motif at 3 o'clock. The strap mixes dark blue fabric with black rubber, and the caseback is engraved "Special Edition." It was sold exclusively in Japan starting February 26, 2026.
Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
Luis de la Fuente has been photographed wearing an IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph from the brand's Top Gun line in a dark, ceramic-based case with a blue dial and matching blue textile strap closest in spec to the IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium (ref. IW388106), built from IWC's proprietary Ceratanium, a ceramic-titanium hybrid engineered to resist scratching and fading far better than steel. Inside is the in-house Caliber 69385, an automatic chronograph with a column wheel and a 46-hour power reserve. De la Fuente often pairs the watch with a stack of beaded bracelets on the same wrist.
Didier Deschamps (France)
Didier Deschamps wears the Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Blue Ceramic (ref. 421.EX.5129.NR.RLD), a 44mm watch built around Hublot's in-house Unico flyback chronograph movement with a column wheel and 72-hour power reserve. The blue ceramic bezel and openworked dial are signature elements of the Unico line, and the watch is water resistant to 100 meters. Deschamps has worn variations of the Big Bang for years on the France touchline, making this ceramic edition a continuation of a long-standing personal preference.
Amir Ghalenoei (Iran)
Amir Ghalenoei wears the Rolex Submariner Date "Smurf" (ref. 116619LB), a 40mm Submariner made entirely from 18k white gold with a lacquered blue dial and matching blue Cerachrom bezel. It was the first Submariner ever built in solid white gold, launched in 2008 for Rolex's 100th anniversary, and it remains the only Submariner reference to pair white gold with a fully blue-on-blue color scheme. Rolex discontinued it in 2020, which makes it a now-vintage piece on the secondary market. It runs on the Caliber 3135 and is rated to 300 meters of water resistance.
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Roberto Martínez (Portugal)
Roberto Martínez wears the Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Moonphase King Gold (ref. 517.OX.0180.LR), a 42mm watch with a fully skeletonized sapphire dial showing the moon phase along with day, date, and month indicators. The case and bezel are made from Hublot's proprietary King Gold, an 18-karat alloy with a higher platinum content than standard rose gold, giving it a warmer red tone and noticeably better resistance to fading over time. It runs on the HUB1131 self-winding moonphase movement.
Mauricio Pochettino (USA)
Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the host nation's USMNT, wears the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun "Lake Tahoe" (ref. IW503008), a 46.5mm watch with a white ceramic case, black dial, and white textured rubber strap. Released in June 2023 as part of IWC's "Colors of TOP GUN" collection, it pairs IWC's legendary perpetual calendar a mechanism that needs no correction until the year 2100 with a dual-hemisphere moon phase display. It runs on the in-house Caliber 52615 with a Pellaton winding system and a 7-day power reserve.
READ ABOUT: What Men Watches Do Footballers Wear in World Cup 2026?
Hervé Renard (Saudi Arabia)
Hervé Renard wears the Hublot Square Bang Unico Magic Gold (ref. 821.MX.0130.RX), a 42mm watch made from Hublot's patented Magic Gold, the first 18-karat gold alloy in the world engineered to be essentially scratch-proof, with a hardness rating roughly 2.5 times that of standard 18k gold. The piece is limited to 200 examples and runs on the HUB1280 Unico chronograph movement with a column wheel and 72-hour power reserve. Its squared case sets it apart from the rounder Big Bang and Classic Fusion lines worn by other coaches on this list.
Julian Nagelsmann (Germany)
Julian Nagelsmann wears the exact same reference as Pochettino: the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun "Lake Tahoe" (ref. IW503008) in white ceramic. It's one of the more striking parallels among this year's coaching watches two managers from different confederations, on opposite ends of the bracket, wearing the identical flagship reference down to the case material and strap.
Why Do Football Coaches Wear Luxury Watches?
For most of these managers, a personal watch collection has built up gradually over long careers in club and international football, separate from any official sponsorship. Brands like Hublot and IWC have also built deep ties to football through ambassador deals and official partnerships, like Hublot's role as Japan's official team watch supplier, which keeps certain models circulating more visibly among coaches and players. Not every watch on this list reflects a formal partnership; several appear to simply be personal taste.
ALSO READ: Best Gold Watches for Men in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget
Hajime Moriyasu wears the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Titanium Blue Victory (ref. 521.NX.7170.NR.JFA), a limited edition made exclusively for the Japanese market as the Official Watch of the Japan National Football Team.
Didier Deschamps wears a Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Blue Ceramic (ref. 421.NL.5170.RX) with a 44mm case.
Mauricio Pochettino wears an IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun “Lake Tahoe” (ref. IW503008) in white ceramic.
Both coaches have been photographed in the identical IWC reference, IW503008, making it one of the more notable coincidences among this year’s coaching watches.
The Rolex Submariner Date “Smurf” (ref. 116619LB) is a discontinued 18k white gold Submariner with a blue dial and matching blue Cerachrom bezel, nicknamed by collectors for its resemblance to the cartoon characters’ color. It was worn by Iran’s Amir Ghalenoei.
King Gold is Hublot’s proprietary 18-karat gold alloy with a higher platinum content than standard rose gold, giving it a warmer red tone and better resistance to fading. Roberto Martínez wears a Classic Fusion Aerofusion Moonphase in King Gold.
We are the Behzadi Boutique Team, a group of luxury watch specialists and dedicated writers focused on the world of fine timepieces. At Behzadi Boutique, we create clear, practical, and market-aware watch content to help collectors, buyers, and sellers make more confident decisions in the luxury watch market.
