Nagelsmann, Koeman, Bielsa... the coaches' blacklist keeps growing

The 2026 World Cup has triggered an unprecedented wave of coaching departures: more than a dozen managers have left their posts following their teams' elimination, through resignations, dismissals and mutual contract terminations.

Julian Nagelsmann (Germany): resignation accepted by the federation after an early exit.

Ronald Koeman (Netherlands): fired after the Oranje's elimination, with the federation calling for "a bolder mentality."

Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay): mutual termination after elimination; he admitted he "failed to implement his ideas."

Hong Myung-bo (South Korea): resigned after a heavy defeat to Spain, taking "full responsibility."

Steve Clarke (Scotland): resigned after five years in charge, saying he had "taken the team as far as I can."

Sebastián Beccacece (Ecuador): fired after a heavy defeat to France.

Miroslav Koubek (Czechia): fired immediately after elimination, with the federation citing a lack of team character.

Carlos Queiroz (Ghana): fired for failing to meet set objectives.

Jamal Al-Salamy (Jordan): resigned upon the team's return from the tournament.

Sabri Lamouchi (Tunisia): mutual departure after a disappointing run.

Javier Aguirre (Mexico): resigned after elimination to focus on his family.

Vladimir Petković (Algeria): contract ended after a group-stage exit.

Zlatko Dalić (Croatia): departed after his team's elimination.

Roberto Martínez (Portugal): announced his departure immediately after the round of 16 defeat to Spain, calling it "the end of a cycle"; the Portuguese federation named Jorge Jesus as his successor.

This wave of departures highlights the immense pressure on national team coaches in this expanded 48-team edition, where dismissals and resignations have become a recurring scenario after every round.