Carlos Queiroz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carlos Queiroz

Queiroz in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	(1953-03-01) 1 March 1953 (age 72)
Place of birth	Angoche, Portuguese Mozambique
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
Years	Team
1968–1974	Ferroviário de Nampula
Teams managed
Years	Team
1989–1991	Portugal U20
1991–1993	Portugal
1993–1996	Sporting CP
1996	NY/NJ MetroStars
1996–1997	Nagoya Grampus Eight
1998–1999	United Arab Emirates
2000–2002	South Africa
2002–2003	Manchester United (assistant)
2003–2004	Real Madrid
2004–2008	Manchester United (assistant)
2008–2010	Portugal
2011–2019	Iran
2019–2020	Colombia
2021–2022	Egypt
2022	Iran
2023	Qatar
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal (as manager) FIFA U-17 World Cup Bronze 1989 Scotland FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 1989 Saudi Arabia Winner 1991 Portugal Representing  Egypt (as manager) Africa Cup of Nations Runner-up 2021 Cameroon

Carlos Queiroz (born 1 March 1953) is a famous Portuguese football manager. He has coached many national teams, including his home country, Portugal, and Iran. He led South Africa, Portugal, and Iran to the FIFA World Cup, which is a huge achievement.

Queiroz has also managed big clubs like Sporting CP and Real Madrid. He worked as an assistant manager for Alex Ferguson at Manchester United twice. He is known for helping young players grow and for his smart coaching ideas.

He is the longest-serving coach for the Iran national team. He coached them for almost eight years and led them to three World Cups in a row.

Carlos Queiroz: A Football Coach's Journey

Carlos Queiroz was born in Nampula, which was then Portuguese Mozambique. He played football as a goalkeeper but wasn't a big star. After moving to Portugal, he became a coach. He studied at the University of Lisbon.

Early Coaching Days

Queiroz first became famous for coaching the Portuguese under-20 team. He led them to win the FIFA World Youth Championship twice. This happened in 1989 and again in 1991. These wins showed he was a very talented coach.

In 1991, he became the coach for the senior national team of Portugal. Later, he coached the Portuguese club Sporting CP. He also coached teams in the United States, like the NY/NJ MetroStars, and in Japan, like Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Queiroz returned to coaching national teams in 1999. He coached the United Arab Emirates and then South Africa. He helped South Africa qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Working with Manchester United

In 2002, Queiroz joined the English club Manchester United as an assistant coach. He worked closely with the legendary manager Alex Ferguson. He helped the team win the Premier League title in his first season.

Managing Real Madrid

His success at Manchester United caught the eye of Real Madrid, a huge Spanish club. In 2003, Queiroz became their manager. He got to work with famous players like Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham.

Real Madrid started the 2003–04 season well, winning the Supercopa de España. However, they struggled towards the end of the season. They finished fourth in the league and didn't win any major trophies. After ten months, Queiroz left Real Madrid.

Back to Manchester United

Queiroz with Sir Alex Ferguson during a match in 2008

Queiroz returned to Manchester United as Alex Ferguson's assistant in 2004. Many people believed his return helped the team. During this time, Manchester United won the Premier League title in 2007 and the Premier League and Champions League in 2008.

Coaching Portugal Again

In 2008, Queiroz became the head coach of the Portugal national team for a second time. He helped Portugal qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, Portugal played well, including a big 7–0 win against North Korea. They reached the second round but lost to Spain.

Leading Iran to World Cups

Queiroz celebrating after Iran qualified for the 2014 World Cup

In 2011, Queiroz took on a new challenge: coaching the Iran national team. He was known for bringing in players from other countries who had Iranian heritage. This helped make the team stronger.

2014 World Cup Journey

Iran successfully qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup under Queiroz. They won their group in the Asian qualifiers. This was the third team Queiroz had led to the World Cup.

Queiroz during Iran's group stage match against Argentina in 2014

At the 2014 World Cup, Iran played in a tough group with Argentina, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They drew 0–0 with Nigeria. They also played a very close game against Argentina, losing only 1–0 to a late goal from Lionel Messi. Iran was eliminated after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the tournament, Queiroz extended his contract with Iran.

2015 Asian Cup

Queiroz overseeing a training session in March 2016

Iran also qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. They won all their group matches against Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. In the quarter-finals, they faced Iraq. The game was very exciting, ending 3–3 after extra time. Iran lost in a penalty shootout.

2018 World Cup Qualification

Queiroz during a qualification match against Qatar

Queiroz continued to lead Iran for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. His team played very well, remaining unbeaten in the second round. Iran qualified for the World Cup with two games to spare, becoming one of the first teams to secure their spot.

Queiroz during a group match against Portugal

At the 2018 World Cup, Iran won their first match against Morocco 1–0. They then lost 1–0 to Spain. In their final group game, Queiroz faced his home country, Portugal. Iran drew 1–1, but it wasn't enough to move to the next stage.

2019 Asian Cup

Queiroz extended his contract with Iran hoping to win the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Iran performed strongly, winning their group and reaching the semi-finals. However, they lost 3–0 to Japan, and Queiroz left the team after this match.

Coaching Colombia and Egypt

In 2019, Queiroz became the manager of the Colombia national team. They had a good start in the 2019 Copa América, winning all their group games. But they were knocked out in the quarter-finals. Colombia's performance later dropped, and Queiroz left the team in 2020.

In 2021, he took over the Egypt national team. He led Egypt to the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, a big achievement. However, they lost the final in a penalty shootout. Egypt also failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after losing a penalty shootout to Senegal.

Return to Iran and Qatar

In September 2022, Queiroz returned to coach Iran for his third World Cup with the country. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Iran won one game against Wales but were eliminated in the group stage.

In 2023, Queiroz became the manager of the Qatar national team. He coached them for about a year before his contract ended by mutual agreement in December 2023.

Managerial Statistics

Carlos Queiroz has coached many teams throughout his career. Here's a summary of his record as a manager:

Honours

Assistant Manager

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08

Manager

Portugal

• FIFA World Youth Championship: 1989, 1991
• UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 1989
• FIFA U-17 World Cup third place: 1989

Sporting CP

• Taça de Portugal: 1994–95
• Primeira Divisão runner–up: 1994–95
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1995

Nagoya Grampus

• Asian Cup Winners' Cup runner–up: 1996–97
• J.League runner–up: 1996
• Sanwa Bank Cup: 1996
• Suntory Championship: 1997

United Arab Emirates

• Arabian Gulf Cup third place: 1998
• FIFA Arab Cup fourth place: 1998

Real Madrid

• Supercopa de España: 2003
• Copa del Rey runner–up: 2003–04

Egypt

• Africa Cup of Nations runner–up: 2021

Images for kids

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  Queiroz at Old Trafford during a match between Manchester United and Reading on 12 August 2007