Ten coaches. One tournament. Forty-eight teams, and a trail of terminations stretching from the opening week all the way to New Jersey, where Spain lifted the trophy while the rest of football quietly cleared their desks.
The 2026 World Cup was brutal for the people in the dugout. Some saw it coming. Others didn't. A few, like Didier Deschamps, had already written the ending before a ball was kicked.
The early exits: group stage chaos
Tunisia's Sabri Lamouchi holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first coach shown the door. A 5-1 loss to Sweden on day five was enough — he finished with one win, one draw, and three defeats in five games since his January appointment. His replacement, Hervé Renard, lasted barely longer. Heavy defeats to Japan and the Netherlands followed, and the North Africans ended the tournament having conceded 12 goals — the joint-worst defensive record of all 48 teams, shared with Iraq. By July 4, Renard was gone too.
Marcelo Bielsa left Uruguay on June 30 after three years in charge. His team didn't win a single group game. That's a hard goodbye for a coach of his profile, but the numbers didn't leave room for debate.
Czech Republic's Miroslav Koubek resigned after two defeats and a draw left his side bottom of Group A. Korea Republic's Hong Myung-bo followed on the same day — back-to-back 1-0 losses to Mexico and South Africa ended their tournament before it really started. Scotland's Steve Clarke also handed in his notice, his side finishing third in a tough group with a goal difference that closed the door on any hope of advancing.
Six coaches gone before the knockout rounds even began.
Knockout departures: Koeman, Nagelsmann, and a World Cup itch Germany can't scratch
Ronald Koeman resigned on June 30, the day after the Netherlands were knocked out on penalties by Morocco in the Round of 32. "It hurts that my time with the Dutch national team has ended like this," he wrote. "No one is more disappointed than I am." Ecuador's Sebastián Beccacece followed a day later — despite the remarkable feat of beating Germany in the group stage, a loss to Mexico at the Azteca ended the South Americans' run. "I have no regrets, only gratitude," he said. And he meant it.
Then came the headline that everyone in Germany had been bracing for. Julian Nagelsmann was handed a $7 million severance package after Germany failed to reach the Round of 16 for the third consecutive World Cup. Three tournaments in a row without getting past the group stage is a structural problem, not a coaching one — but Nagelsmann took the cheque and Jürgen Klopp stepped in to take over. The market already has Germany as long-term contenders with Klopp at the helm, and that's not hard to understand.
Carlos Queiroz's situation was different. Brought in specifically for Ghana's World Cup campaign in April, his contract was always tournament-only. A 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32 ended the arrangement. No drama — just a short-term gig that ran its course.
Senegal's Pape Thiaw was dismissed on July 11 after his side threw away a two-goal lead and lost 3-2 to Belgium in extra time. Capitulating like that in a knockout game costs coaches their jobs. Belgium's Rudi García then announced he wouldn't be extending beyond his contract, which expired July 20.
- Zlatko Dalic (Croatia) — did not renew after exit
- Roberto Martínez (Portugal) — same
- Javier Aguirre (Mexico) — same
Deschamps, Scaloni, and the ones still waiting
Didier Deschamps had already agreed with the FFF that 2026 would be his last chapter regardless of result. France fell to Spain in the semi-finals, and the 57-year-old — who lifted the trophy as a player in 1998 — walked away without the send-off he deserved. That stings in a way that a sacking never quite does.
Lionel Scaloni's contract with Argentina expires at year's end and renewal looks unlikely. Vladimir Petkovic keeps his Algeria job for now — the FAF want stability ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but a commission will make the final call. Neither situation is resolved. Both are worth watching.
Ten coaches confirmed gone. Possibly more to come once the post-tournament reviews land.
