Coaches that were fired or quit at the 2026 World Cup
Some were handed their notice, others stepped dopn and then there were those whose contracts expired once the tournament was over.
Expectations are always high at the World Cup, and if targets aren’t met, there is usually a price to pay and nine times out of 10 it’s the coach who is made the scapegoat for a poor performance.
Of the 48 teams that took part in the 2026 World Cup, 10 bid farewell to their coach between the opening day to when Spain lifted the trophy in New Jersey. And there could still be more casualties once the dust has settled.
The first coaches to lose their jobs at the 2026 World Cup
The first coach to bite the dust was Tunisia’s Sabri Lamouchi who was dismissed following his team’s 5-1 defeat to Sweden just five days into the tournament. It just didn’t work out for the Frenchman, who was appointed back in January - he left with a miserable record: one win, one draw and three defeats in five games in charge.
The man who replaced him only lasted a few days longer. Hervé Renard stepped in to fill the void but things didn’t improve much for the North Africans - heavy defeats to Japan and the Netherlands saw them bow out with the joint worst defensive figures of all 48 participating teams, an honor they shared with Iraq: 12 goals conceded. By July 4, Renard was out of a job.
Marcelo Bielsa left Uruguay after three years at the helm on June 30. His team’s World Cup came to an end at the group stage during which they didn’t win a single game.
Other casualties during the opening round included both of the coaches whose teams failed to qualify from Group A. Czech Republic’s Miroslav Koubek handed in his notice after a disappointing campaign - two defeats and one draw left his side bottom of the group. Korea Republic said goodbye to their coach Hong Myung-bo on the same day. Slim 1-0 defeats to Mexico and South Africa left the Koreans without options of advancing past the group stage.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke handed in his notice following his team’s group stage elimination. His team finished third in an extremely tough group but a poor goal difference gave them no chance of advancing.
Knockout stage casualties
Next to go were the Netherland’s Ronald Koeman and Ecuador’s Sebastián Beccacece.
Koeman, who began his second stint with Oranje on January 1, 2023, handed in his resignation on June 30 - one day after his team crashed out on penalties to Morocco in the Round of 32.
“It hurts that my time with the Dutch national team has ended like this," Koeman wrote. “We all dreamed of a World Cup where we would make history. It wasn’t possible. No one is more disappointed than I am. As national team coach, you carry that responsibility. I’ve always felt it, and I always will”.
Ecuador head coach Sebastián Beccacece followed suit a day later on July 1. Despite beating Germany in the group stage, the South Americans were eliminated by Mexico at the Azteca in the first knockout round game. “I’m grateful for everything this adventure and this journey has been, to the players and to the country. I have no regrets, only gratitude,” the Argentine coach explained, announcing his departure.
Coaches who exited during the later rounds
Germany failed to make it to the Round of 16 for the third time in a row and coach Julian Nagelsmann paid the price of that failure. The DFB offered him a $7 million severance package which he accepted July 3 with Jürgen Klopp set to fill the vacancy.
The next coach to fall was Carlos Queiroz. He was hired to oversee Ghana’s World Cup campaign in April but his contract only covered the time the team would spend in the tournament. Ghana qualified for the Round of 32 as one best third-placed teams but a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia denied them the chance of going any further.
Senegal’s Pape Thiaw suffered a similar fate. His team just crept into the knockout round, qualifying as the eighth-best third-placed team. In the Round of 32, the Africans let slip a two-goal lead and were punished right at the end of extra-time in their tie against Belgium, losing 3-2. Pape Thiaw was dismissed on July 11.
His opposite number, Belgium boss Rudi García followed on July 20. Garcia had 11 days left on his contract with the Red Devils and announced that he would not be continuing.
Other coaches who would not renew their contracts following their teams’ World Cup exits included Croatia’s Zlatko Dalic, Portugal’s Roberto Martínez and Mexico’s Javier Aguirre.
Deschamps’ sad farewell
Even coaches whose teams came close to glory face an uncertain future - even if they were not sacked. Didier Deschamps had already agreed with the FFF that he would leave the France job immediately after the 2026 World Cup. It was a sad ending for the 57-year-old, who had lifted the World Cup as a player in 1998. His team crashed out to Spain in the semis - no shame in that, but he would have preferred to bow on a high.
The respective futures of two other coaches hang in the balance.
Lionel Scaloni’s contract with Argentina is up at the end of the year and at the moment, it seems unlikely that the AFA will renew it. Vladimir Petkovic’s situation with Algeria is similar. The Bosnian coach is under contract until July 2028 and for now, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) are keeping him on. The priority is the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers which start in September and for now, it appears the FAF don’t want any more upheaval. A commission will decide whether Petkovic continues or not.
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