From 1986 until 2002, Bora Milutinovic was an ever-present at the FIFA World Cup™. In that period, the Yugoslavia-born tactician became the only coach to guide four nations into the knockout phase. To boot, he’s the only man to coach five different nations at five successive World Cups.
When one considers the unheralded teams he led, it makes the achievement all the more remarkable.
Milutinovic rose to prominence in Mexican football, first as a player at Pumas and then later as coach of the Mexico City club, steering them to Concacaf Champions Cup crowns in 1980 and 1982.
It impressed the Mexican Football Federation and in 1983, shortly after being named 1986 World Cup hosts, they hired Milutinovic to coach El Tricolor. A group-stage finish in 1978 sandwiched by failed qualification campaigns were all Mexico had to show for themselves since their quarter-final run in 1970. But with Milutinovic at the controls and Hugo Sanchez in inspired form, Mexico reached the last eight before penalty-shootout heartbreak against West Germany.
“Mexico 1986, coming just a year after the country suffered a huge earthquake, brought the people together for what was a real party,” Milutinovic told FIFA in 2024. “The most satisfying thing for me was that after losing to Germany in Monterrey on penalties, the public asked to bid farewell to the national team at the Azteca before the final.”
While Milutinovic had three years to prepare Mexico for 1986, it was a different story when he was named Costa Rica coach just 90 days before the start of Italia ‘90. The Central Americans were appearing in their first global showpiece and Milutinovic made headlines by leaving star player German Chavarria off his final roster. Nevertheless, a plucky Ticos side defied the odds by winning group-stage games against Scotland and Sweden to advance to the last 16, where they bowed out to Czechoslovakia.
“The Costa Rica players were without World Cup experience, but very intelligent and committed, so it makes me happy when I think about those boys who achieved something incredible,” Milutinovic told Concacaf. “It was a dream summer.”
Seeing his success as a ‘miracle worker’ with two other Concacaf sides, officials at US Soccer took note and appointed Milutinovic for their home global finals in 1994. The country had been in the World Cup wilderness for 40 years before Italia ’90, and did not even have a domestic league from which to pull players. Still, a squad long on hustle and heart, and guided masterfully by Milutinovic, delivered a moment for the ages by defeating pre-tournament favourites Colombia to propel themselves into the knockout phase, where they narrowly fell to eventual champions Brazil.
“He was a little abstract type of coach and person, but Bora was also a very deep person and I think it was the mental part that really helped us,” said Tab Ramos to FIFA. “I think we needed an individual like that where nothing fazed him. Everything was ok and we needed that. He was a huge part of what happened, no question.”
Milutinovic would return to the Mexico post and secure their ticket to France 1998, only to be let go a few weeks after qualifying ended. Mexico’s loss was Nigeria’s gain, as he became the Super Eagles boss a month later and promptly steered the Africans to first place in their group before succumbing to Denmark in the Round of 16.
One final miracle was summoned, this time in the run-up to Korea/Japan 2002, as Milutinovic qualified China PR for their first World Cup. However, unlike the four previous bonanzas, there was no knockout phase as the Chinese suffered three group-stage defeats. Still, to this day, ‘Milu’, as he was known there, is fondly remembered for guiding them to their greatest football accomplishment.
