Julian Nagelsmann resigned as Germany men's national football team coach after Germany were eliminated in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup by Paraguay in a penalty shootout on June 29. This marked Germany's third consecutive early World Cup exit, following struggles in 2018 and 2022 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Nagelsmann held a three-hour meeting with German Football Association (DFB) officials on July 2 before agreeing to resign the next day. Although he had a contract running until 2028, renewed in January 2025, Nagelsmann reportedly accepted a severance package of around €7 million ($8 million) to leave the post early [1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 7].
Nagelsmann said, "My top priority has always been the team's success. After such a bitter disappointment, they deserve the chance for a fresh start." He also emphasized, "I'm not someone who runs away" as he announced his decision [3, 8].
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf publicly thanked Nagelsmann for his commitment and ambition since taking over in September 2023. Neuendorf stated, "The German Football Association expressly thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his work since September 2023. He is characterised by a high level of commitment and extraordinary ambition." The DFB swiftly accepted the resignation and announced it would begin talks with Jurgen Klopp as the leading candidate to replace Nagelsmann [1, 8, 5, 9].
Jurgen Klopp, previously manager of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, left Liverpool in 2024 and is currently head of global football at the Red Bull Group, overseeing several football clubs worldwide. Klopp confirmed on July 4 that he is "more than recharged" and ready for intensive negotiations to take over as Germany coach. He noted, "The timing isn’t perfect right now. Nevertheless, it’s better than it has ever been. By now, I’m more than recharged. So, I’m ready." Klopp also stressed the need for systemic reform, adding, "Whether it ends up being me or whoever else it might be, that doesn’t change the fact that changes are necessary." He remains in talks with Red Bull management regarding his release for the role [1, 3, 10, 4, 11, 5, 7, 12].
Germany has not won a World Cup knockout match since their 2014 tournament victory, highlighting ongoing challenges for the national team [1, 3, 12]. The DFB aims to finalize coaching plans soon to prepare for upcoming international fixtures.
