Following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a wave of managerial changes has swept through international football, with 17 national team coaches leaving their positions after the tournament. The departures, resulting from resignations, dismissals, expired contracts and mutual agreements, mark the beginning of a new cycle for many national teams ahead of upcoming continental competitions and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The coaching shake-up affected teams eliminated at different stages of the competition, underscoring the immense pressure national team managers face at football’s biggest tournament. While some coaches paid the price for disappointing results, others departed after completing long-term projects or reaching the end of their contracts.
According to reports, the 17 coaches who have left their national teams are:
- Sabri Lamouchi – Tunisia (Group Stage)
- Hervé Renard – Saudi Arabia (Group Stage)
- Steve Clarke – Scotland (Group Stage)
- Hong Myung-bo – South Korea (Group Stage)
- Miroslav Koubek – Czech Republic (Group Stage)
- Marcelo Bielsa – Uruguay (Round of 32)
- Ronald Koeman – Netherlands (Round of 32)
- Sebastián Beccacece – Ecuador (Round of 32)
- Carlos Queiroz – Oman (Round of 16)
- Roberto Martínez – Portugal (Round of 16)
- Julian Nagelsmann – Germany (Round of 16)
- Javier Aguirre – Mexico (Quarter-finals)
- Zlatko Dalić – Croatia (Quarter-finals)
- Didier Deschamps – France (Semi-finals)
- Pape Thiaw – Senegal (Semi-finals)
- Rudi Garcia – Belgium (Post-tournament)
- Thomas Tuchel – England (Post-tournament)
Football analysts note that the FIFA World Cup often serves as the ultimate assessment for national team coaches, with performances at the tournament frequently determining whether they remain in charge. In several cases, football federations opted to begin rebuilding immediately after elimination, while others concluded coaching tenures that had been planned to end after the World Cup regardless of the outcome.
Belgium’s Rudi Garcia became one of the latest high-profile departures after the Belgian Football Association announced that his contract would not be renewed following the team’s quarter-final exit to eventual champions Spain. The federation thanked Garcia for overseeing a period of transition while confirming plans to appoint a new manager before the UEFA Nations League campaign.
The unprecedented number of departures—representing more than one-third of the coaches who began the tournament—signals a significant reset in international football. As nations look ahead to continental championships and qualification campaigns for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, several football associations are expected to appoint new managers tasked with rebuilding squads and preparing the next generation of players.
