Inzaghi ranked seventh best coach in the world in 2025 and achieved a historic feat with Al-Hilal
Italian coach Simone Inzaghi has cemented his place as one of the most prominent tactical minds in world football, after the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) revealed its annual list of the best club coaches in the world for 2025. The list included the manager of Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal club among the top ten, occupying seventh place, an achievement that reflects the qualitative leap he has made in his coaching career and his direct impact on Saudi and Asian football.
The challenging journey from Milan to Riyadh
2025 was no ordinary year in Inzaghi's career; it marked a radical shift as he moved from managing Inter Milan in the first half of the season, where they were competing at the highest European levels, to taking the helm at Al-Hilal in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. This move was not merely a geographical change, but a technical challenge through which Inzaghi proved his ability to adapt quickly and impose his balanced tactical style, contributing to raising the market and technical value of the Asian giant on the international stage.
A global achievement and the defeat of Manchester City
Perhaps the most significant factor contributing to Inzaghi's rise in global rankings was Al-Hilal's heroic performance under his leadership at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. He guided the team to one of the tournament's biggest upsets, a historic 4-3 victory over English giants Manchester City, a match that demonstrated the team's tactical maturity and ability to compete with the European champions. Despite the subsequent quarter-final loss to Brazilian side Fluminense, Inzaghi's impact was enough to place him alongside the world's top coaches.
List of the world's best coaches for 2025
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) rankings showed great diversity and dominance by coaches of major clubs, and the rankings were as follows:
- 1- Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain) – 222 points
- 2- Enzo Maresca (Chelsea) – 60 points
- 3- Hansi Flick (Barcelona) – 57 points
- 4- Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich) – 42 points
- 5- Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) – 21 points
- 6- Antonio Conte (Napoli) – 21 points
- 7- Simone Inzaghi (Inter - Al Hilal) - 17 points
- 8- Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen – Real Madrid) – 14 points
- 9- Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras) – 10 points
- 10- Bronoslav Jurčić (Pyramids), and Filipe Luís (Flamengo) – 9 points
Local and continental dominance
In terms of numbers, Al-Hilal, under the guidance of the "Italian Godfather," has played 23 matches across all competitions, securing 18 victories, 4 draws, and only one loss (in the Club World Cup). Domestically and continentally, the club continues to deliver impressive performances, currently sitting second in the Saudi Professional League with 23 points and having deservedly reached the King's Cup semi-finals. In the AFC Champions League, the team has dominated with a perfect record, accumulating 18 points from 6 matches, confirming that Inzaghi's project with Al-Hilal is progressing steadily towards winning titles.
