€40 Million per Year: The International Coach with the Biggest Manager Salary of All Time

€40 Million per Year: The International Coach with the Biggest Manager Salary of All Time

In the past few days, confirmation has arrived that Carlo Ancelotti has extended his contract with the Brazil national football team until 2030, a seismic statement of intent from the Seleção.

The renewal alone signals belief ahead of a new era, but the real headline-grabber lies in the numbers. Ancelotti has reportedly agreed to an eye-watering €40 million per year deal, a figure set to make it the most lucrative managerial contract in football history. Brazil aren’t just backing a coach, they’re investing in a serial winner, a global icon, and the man they believe can restore them to the summit of world football.

Carlo Ancelotti will be paid €40m per year for the next four years as part of his new Brazil contract 📑 pic.twitter.com/izHhMx1EwC

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) February 22, 2026

One of the most decorated managers in football history, if there's one manager who deserves this salary, it's Ancelotti. Today, we will be taking a look at Ancelotti's career, what brought him to this point, and what his new contract might mean for world football.

From Milan, To London, To Paris, Then Madrid

Ancelotti was at the helm at AC Milan between 2001 and 2009, and in this time he became one of the club's most successful managers, lifting 8 major trophies. The Italian brought 2 Champions Leagues to the San Siro, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 FIFA World Cup, 1 Serie A title, and 1 Coppa Italia.

Ancelotti coached the likes of Ronaldinho, Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf and countless other legend of the game during his time at the Rossoneri.

🤪#FridayFeeling: Carlo Ancelotti entusiasmado celebrando una nueva UEFA Champions League con el Milan.🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/wazcwpPgDC

— Universo A.C. Milan by Julito (@UniversoACMilan) October 10, 2025

After 8 years at the club, Ancelotti got the call from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, and he swapped Milan for West London. His first season at Chelsea resulted in two trophies, a Premier League and an FA Cup.

Chelsea edged the league by 1 point, and defeated Portsmouth at Wembley to lift the FA Cup. During this season, Ancelotti had one of the most exciting squad in world football at his finger tips. Fuelled with revenge after losing the Champions League final in Moscow to Man United the season before, Chelsea were ruthless across all departments and this was instilled by Ancelotti. Didier Drogba was the star of the show, scoring 37 goals and notching 14 assists in 44 games for the club. Loved by the players and fans alike, Ancelotti's Chelsea played some of the most exciting football to ever be seen at Stamford Bridge.

Carlo Ancelotti has the fifth-best winning percentage in Premier League history

7️⃣6️⃣ Games
4️⃣8️⃣ Wins
1️⃣3️⃣ Draws
1️⃣5️⃣ Losses pic.twitter.com/r23ZadgHs9

— GOAL (@goal) December 21, 2019

Ancelotti's second season at Chelsea saw him fail to replicate his first season success, finishing second in the league and going trophyless. Ancelotti was sacked, prompting the Italian to move to French Giants PSG.

During his time at PSG, Ancelotti guided the side to the Ligue 1 title. A team laced with talent such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, this was their first league title since 1994. This was the beginning of PSG's dominance in France, and Ancelotti played a huge role in laying the foundations for the club's eventual success. A quick stop in Paris, and Ancelotti was snapped up by Real Madrid to coach a golden generation.

🚨 Ancelotti: “When I arrived, Florentino showed me 9 Champions League trophies, but he said ‘there’s a problem, we need the 10th’

I told him, ‘no problem, I’m here to get it’.” pic.twitter.com/QA2zIrQ3os

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) February 22, 2026

In his stint with the Galacticos, Ancelotti lifted the Champions League, the Super Cup and the Copa Del Rey with the side. Ancelotti led Madrid to thier record 10th Champions League title, their first in 12 years. Coaching a golden generation, the Madrid team included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, and Toni Kroos.

After success at the Bernabeu, Ancelotti sought a new challenge and signed a deal with German powerhouses Bayern Munich.

Things are going pretty well for Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich:

Played: 8
Won: 8
Scored: 27
Conceded: 1 pic.twitter.com/JaH3yWnIgH

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) September 26, 2016

In one season with Bayern Munich, he lifted the Bundesliga title with the side. However, failure to dominate on the European stage led to the Italian being sacked after just one season.

A Sabattical?

After achieving everything in football, and winning league titles across Europe's major leagues with some of the biggest clubs in the world, many thought Ancelotti would take a step back. However, this was far from the case. Ancelotti had a brief stint at Napoli before taking charge of Premier League club Everton.

🚨 Carlo Ancelotti will fly to Liverpool in the next few hours. Ancelotti will sign a contract with Everton until 2024 and his first game in charge will be the Boxing Day game against Burnley at Goodison (Source - @NicoSchira ) pic.twitter.com/0rL9PuPo92

— 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 (@EvertonNewsFeed) December 20, 2019

When Ancelotti arrived at Everton it felt surreal. A five-time Champions League winner ignited belief back to Goodison Park. His impact was imminent, igniting a thrilling start to 2020-21 with seven straight wins in all competitions, sending Everton top of the league. Dominic Calvert-Lewin flourished into a ruthless No.9, and James Rodríguez added genuine star quality and creativity. The defining moment came with a historic 2–0 win at Anfield, Everton’s first there in over 20 years. Though the season ended in 10th, Ancelotti’s spell was short, ambitious and intoxicating.

His time at Everton came to an abrupt ending after a call from Florentino Perez that the Italian just simply could not resist.

The Madrid Homecoming

When Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid in 2021, he reignited an empire. In his first season back, he delivered a La Liga and Champions League double.

🗣️ Ancelotti: “When I returned in 2021, there were veterans like Casemiro, Modrić, Kroos, Benzema or Marcelo, and youngsters like Vinícius, Rodrygo, Valverde or Camavinga. The key was that veterans had no ego. They saw youngsters as an opportunity to win again.” @MPlusDeportes pic.twitter.com/6mJuC3RkhI

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) February 22, 2026

Across the next four years, Madrid blended experience with explosive youth, none more electric than Vinícius Júnior, who evolved into a Ballon d’Or contender under Ancelotti’s calm guidance, becoming the face of a new Galáctico era. With another league title and further European glory added to the cabinet, Ancelotti’s second spell wasn’t nostalgic, it was historic, cementing his legacy as the manager who mastered both transition and triumph at the Bernabéu.

In 2025, Ancelotti left the Bernabeu and set his sights on international management with Brazil.

Restoring Brazil’s Global Supremacy

When Carlo Ancelotti took charge of Brazil national football team in May 2025, international football shifted on its axis.

Almost instantly, Brazil rediscovered their edge, combining Ancelotti’s trademark defensive structure with devastating, vertical counter-attacks that slice teams open in seconds. Reunited with Vinícius Júnior, now the undisputed heartbeat of the Seleção, Ancelotti has built a side bursting with rhythm, swagger and ruthlessness.

Brazil take down Chile 3-0 🇧🇷

Two wins, one draw, four goals scored and three clean sheets to kick off the Ancelotti era. pic.twitter.com/D9tSVqboJS

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 5, 2025

True to form, he has blended stardust with steel, carefully integrating Chelsea’s teenage phenomenon, and Brazil's future, Estêvão Willian, who has five goals in 11 caps, into a squad that feels both fearless and mature.

With the World Cup looming, belief is surging. Brazil haven’t lifted the trophy since 2002, but with one of the most decorated managers in history at the helm, a serial winner who has conquered everything club football offers, the sleeping giant it looks ready to roar once again.

The new contact isn't just a lucrative ploy, it's a statement in the trust Brazil have in Ancelotti to lead them into a new era.