Career Timeline of Carlos Queiroz: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Carlos Queiroz made an impact.

Carlos Queiroz is a Portuguese football manager with a long and varied career. He has managed numerous national teams, including Portugal, South Africa, Iran, Colombia, Egypt, Qatar, and Oman, guiding South Africa (2002), Portugal (2010), and Iran to the FIFA World Cup. At the club level, Queiroz has managed Sporting CP, the New York/New Jersey Metrostars, and Real Madrid. Notably, he also served as Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at Manchester United during two separate spells.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1984: Appointed assistant manager of Estoril-Praia

In 1984, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as assistant manager of Estoril-Praia.

1989: FIFA World Youth Championship

In 1989, Carlos Queiroz coached the Portuguese under-20 side to a FIFA World Youth Championship win.

1991: FIFA World Youth Championship

In 1991, Carlos Queiroz coached the Portuguese under-20 side to a second FIFA World Youth Championship win.

1991: Appointed senior national team coach

In 1991, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as senior national team coach. He achieved 14 wins in 31 matches.

1994: Managed Sporting CP

In 1994, Carlos Queiroz went on to manage the Portuguese Primeira Divisão team Sporting CP.

1998: Authored the Q-Report

In 1998, Carlos Queiroz authored the Q-Report, which outlined plans for enhancing footballer development in the United States.

1999: Head Coach of United Arab Emirates

In 1999, Carlos Queiroz returned to coaching national teams when he took the job as head coach of the United Arab Emirates.

April 2000: FIFA XI Coaching Staff

On April 25, 2000, Carlos Queiroz was part of FIFA XI coaching staff in a humanitarian friendly match played in war-torn Sarajevo against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2001: Departure of Steve McClaren

In 2001, Steve McClaren's departure led to Carlos Queiroz later joining Manchester United as an assistant manager in June 2002.

March 2002: Resigned from South Africa

In March 2002, Carlos Queiroz resigned as head coach of South Africa before the FIFA World Cup finals, after a disagreement with the South African Football Association.

June 2002: Became Coach at Manchester United

In June 2002, Carlos Queiroz became a coach at English club Manchester United.

2002: Reached 2002 Edition with South Africa

Carlos Queiroz reached the 2002 edition of the World Cup with South Africa.

2002: Leading South Africa to FIFA World Cup

In 2002, Carlos Queiroz led South Africa to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

2003: Appointed Manager of Real Madrid

In the summer of 2003, Carlos Queiroz was appointed manager of Real Madrid on a two-year contract, replacing Vicente del Bosque.

2003: Defeated Mallorca in the Supercopa de España

Real Madrid, under Queiroz, had a good start to the 2003–04 season, defeating Mallorca in the Supercopa de España.

May 2004: Sacked by Real Madrid

In May 2004, after ten months at the Santiago Bernabéu, Carlos Queiroz was sacked by Real Madrid.

June 2004: Returned to Manchester United

In June 2004, Carlos Queiroz returned to Manchester United as Alex Ferguson's assistant.

2006: Linked with Benfica and United States

In 2006, Carlos Queiroz was linked with managerial roles with Portuguese side Benfica and the United States national team.

2007: Won Premier League

In 2007, Carlos Queiroz helped Manchester United win the Premier League.

March 2008: Benfica approached Queiroz

In late March 2008, Benfica approached Carlos Queiroz to become their manager and made a formal request to Manchester United.

July 2008: Appointed Head Coach of Portugal

On July 11, 2008, it was announced that Carlos Queiroz was leaving Manchester United, having agreed to a four-year contract to become the head coach of the Portugal national team.

July 2008: Manchester United released Queiroz

Over the summer of 2008, rumors continued to link Carlos Queiroz with the Portugal national team managers' role. On 11 July 2008, Manchester United agreed to release Carlos Queiroz from his contract, and he was appointed manager for the Portugal national team.

2010: Reached 2010 Edition with Portugal

Carlos Queiroz reached the 2010 edition of the World Cup with Portugal, leading them to a knockout stage finish.

2010: Leading Portugal to FIFA World Cup

In 2010, Carlos Queiroz led Portugal to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

2010: Qualified for 2010 World Cup

In 2010, Portugal qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UEFA play-offs.

April 2011: Agreed to coach Iran

On April 4, 2011, Carlos Queiroz agreed to a two-and-a-half-year deal to coach Iran until the end of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

2011: Started as Iran Manager

In 2011, Carlos Queiroz started his first spell as the manager for the Iran national team.

June 2014: Announced 23-man squad

On June 1, 2014, Carlos Queiroz announced his 23-man squad for Iran.

2014: Continued winning streak after World Cup

After 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, Iran, under Carlos Queiroz, continued their winning streak.

2014: Qualified for 2014 World Cup

Carlos Queiroz managed to qualify Iran for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

2014: 2014 FIFA World Cup

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Carlos Queiroz's salary as an Iranian team manager was US$2,098,060.

2014: Leading Iran to FIFA World Cup

In 2014, Carlos Queiroz led Iran to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

2014: Founded CAFA

Prior to the 2014 tournament, Carlos Queiroz and others founded the Central Asian Football Association.

March 2015: Friendly Matches

In March 2015, Iran, managed by Carlos Queiroz, played friendly matches against Chile and Sweden as part of their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign.

April 2015: World Cup Qualifiers Draw

In April 2015, Iran was drawn with Oman, India, Turkmenistan, and Guam in the second round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

2015: Qualified for 2015 Asian Cup

In 2015, Iran, led by Carlos Queiroz, qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup as group winners.

April 2018: Application for Cameroon Job

In April 2018, Carlos Queiroz applied for the vacant position of manager for the Cameroon national team.

September 2018: Contract Extension

On September 23, 2018, Carlos Queiroz extended his contract as Iran's coach until the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

2018: Extended Contract

After the 2014 tournament, Carlos Queiroz extended his contract as Iran manager until the 2018 World Cup.

2018: World Cup Qualification

In 2018, Carlos Queiroz continued as the manager of Iran for their World Cup campaign, leading the team to qualify for the World Cup after defeating Uzbekistan.

2018: Leading Iran to FIFA World Cup

In 2018, Carlos Queiroz led Iran to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

February 2019: Appointment as Colombia Manager

On February 7, 2019, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as the new manager of Colombia, signing a three-year contract.

2019: End of First Iran Manager Spell

In 2019, Carlos Queiroz ended his first spell as the manager for the Iran national team, after almost eight years.

2019: AFC Asian Cup

In 2019, Queiroz managed Iran at the AFC Asian Cup, where they reached the semi-finals before losing to Japan.

September 2021: Appointment as Egypt Manager

On September 8, 2021, Carlos Queiroz was signed by the Egyptian Football Association to replace Hossam El Badry as their manager.

September 2022: Rehired as Iran Coach

On September 7, 2022, Carlos Queiroz was rehired for a second spell as the coach of Iran, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, marking his third World Cup with the country.

2022: Leading Iran to FIFA World Cup

In 2022, Carlos Queiroz led Iran to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

2022: Return to Iran for World Cup

In 2022, Carlos Queiroz returned to the role of manager for Iran's World Cup campaign.

2022: End of Colombia Reign

In 2022, Carlos Queiroz's reign as Colombia's boss ended after a disastrous performance in the World Cup qualifiers, including a 1-6 defeat by Ecuador.

February 2023: Appointment as Qatar Manager

In February 2023, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as the manager of the Qatar national team, succeeding Félix Sánchez.

December 2023: Termination of Qatar Contract

On December 6, 2023, after twelve matches, Carlos Queiroz's contract with the Qatar Football Association was terminated by mutual agreement.

July 2025: Appointed by Oman

In July 2025, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as manager by Oman.

July 2025: Appointed Head Coach of Oman

On July 15, 2025, Carlos Queiroz became the head coach of Oman.

March 2026: Stepped Down from Oman National Team

On March 22, 2026, Carlos Queiroz stepped down from his position with the Omani national team, reportedly due to regional instability following the 2026 Iran war.