Considered to be one of the greatest and most successful managers of all time by several pundits,[2][3][4][5][6] Scolari was a defender during his playing days, and notably represented Caxias before moving to a managerial role in 1982.

After managing Goiás, Scolari had a two-year stint in charge of Kuwaiti side Qadsia, with whom he won the prestigious Kuwait Emir Cup in 1989.

After the last loss, he abandoned the club by boarding the winning team's bus back to his hometown; and did not return even to collect his wages.

In 1993, Scolari returned to Grêmio, where, albeit leading the team to historic victories, he was criticized by the Brazilian media for playing a pragmatic style of football regarded as "un-Brazilian".

He claimed six titles in only three years, including the 1995 Copa Libertadores, which qualified Grêmio for the Intercontinental Cup, which they lost to Dutch side Ajax on penalties.

[15] His team featured no real superstar[citation needed] and depended on workman-like players such as Paraguayan right back Francisco Arce, tough-tackling midfielder Dinho, Paulo Nunes, and centre forward Mário Jardel.

Despite losing his first match 1–0 to Uruguay, and also suffering a 2–1 defeat to rivals Argentina in September, Scolari eventually guided the team to qualification for the tournament.

In the build-up to the 2002 World Cup finals, Scolari refused to include veteran striker Romário in his squad, despite public pressure and a tearful appeal from the player himself.

[23] Scolari managed Portugal through the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they reached the semi-finals, again coming out victorious in the quarterfinals against England.

Scolari was sacked as Chelsea manager on 9 February 2009[31] after a run of poor form culminating in a 2–0 defeat at Liverpool followed by frustrating 0–0 home draw with Hull City.

The club's stated reason for his removal was that "the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season".

[34] He left by mutual consent on 29 May 2010 after failing to guide Bunyodkor past the last 16 in the AFC Champions League, although he cited concern regarding his son's education as the key reason.

[36] In November 2012, after two months without a club, Scolari returned to managing the Brazil national team, replacing the outgoing Mano Menezes.

[47] On 4 June 2015, Scolari was appointed head coach of Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande, signing a one-and-a-half plus one-year contract.

[49] He extended his contract for one year on 24 October 2016 after his potential successor Marcello Lippi was appointed as the manager of China national team.

[55] On 7 July 2021, Scolari returned to Grêmio for the fourth time, with the goal of moving the team out of the last place in the Brasileiro Série A and fighting for the Copa Sudamericana.

[58] With favorable results, he ended up coaching the side for the remainder of the season, leading them to the 2022 Copa Libertadores final, lost 1–0 to Flamengo.

He stepped down as head coach and continued at the club solely as a director in the 2023 season, appointing his assistant Paulo Turra as his successor.

On 16 June 2023, Scolari accepted an offer to resume his coaching career at Atlético Mineiro, signing a one-and-a-half-year deal.

[63] During his career, the media has been fond of pointing out Scolari's facial resemblance to actor Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando's portrayal of Don Vito Corleone in the film The Godfather.

"[5][68] Nicknamed "Felipão," or "Big Phil," in Portuguese,[10] in the early part of his coaching career, he was known for his no-nonsense style of football.

The gameplay of his wingers was also an important part of his tactical approach, as he often had them switch positions in order to provide a diverse range of attacking plays for his team.

[72] During his first stint as Brazil's manager, he initially played a more defensive style, but took a more attacking approach during the 2002 World Cup, using a 3–5–2, 3–4–1–2, or 3–4–2–1 formation with Cafu and Roberto Carlos as attacking wing-backs supporting the front line, which complemented the ability of his team's talented forwards – Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho, as well as the passing ability of his midfielders.

[73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] With Portugal, Scolari also adopted an entertainig playing style based on passing, which highlighted the skill of his players, but also placed an emphasis on tactical preparation, pragmatism, and the psychological aspect of the game.

[85] During the latter tournament, Scolari used a 4–2–3–1 formation with wingers Cristiano Ronaldo and Luís Figo on the left and right flanks respectively, often switching sides and running at opposing defenders.

[86][87][88] During his second stint with Brazil, Scolari instead adopted a flexible 4–2–3–1 and successfully stifled Spain's possession during the 2013 Confederations Cup final through the use of heavy pressing, in particular on the opposing team's holding midfielder Sergio Busquets.