Julian Nagelsmann Steps Down As Germany Head Coach After World Cup Exit

Julian Nagelsmann has stepped down as Germany head coach after three years in charge, bringing an abrupt end to his tenure following the country's disappointing Round of 32 exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to reports from Bild, Sky Germany and journalist Florian Plettenberg, the 38-year-old resigned with immediate effect this morning. Official confirmation from the German Football Association (DFB) is still awaited.

Nagelsmann had been under growing pressure after another major tournament disappointment, despite leading Germany into the World Cup on the back of a nine-match winning streak. Expectations were high that Die Mannschaft could finally move beyond years of underachievement, but another early knockout exit proved decisive.

Germany had shown promise during the group stage, opening their campaign with victory over Curaçao, yet familiar problems resurfaced once the knockout rounds began. The defeat to Paraguay marked Germany's first-ever World Cup penalty shootout loss and extended an alarming trend, with the four-time world champions failing to win a knockout match or keep a clean sheet at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2014.

Nagelsmann leaves, having won 20 of his 34 matches in charge, but ultimately fell short in the competitions that mattered most. Germany were eliminated in the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil before another disappointing World Cup campaign ended well below expectations.

Speculation surrounding his future had intensified recently, with reports suggesting senior DFB officials had urged him to leave his position. Despite his contract running until the 2028 European Championship, Nagelsmann is understood to have accepted the federation's request to step aside.

His decision is particularly notable because of the financial implications. Reports indicate the DFB had been prepared to offer the former Bayern Munich coach a severance package worth around €7 million, equivalent to approximately one year's salary, if he had been dismissed. By resigning, Nagelsmann has reportedly walked away from that compensation.

The decision followed a lengthy meeting at the DFB's headquarters in Frankfurt on Thursday, where discussions over the future of the national team reportedly lasted around three hours.

Should the departure be officially confirmed, Nagelsmann would become only the second Germany head coach to leave under such circumstances, following Hansi Flick's dismissal in 2023.

Attention now turns to who will lead Germany into the next cycle, with former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp widely viewed as the DFB's preferred successor.

Klopp, who left Liverpool in 2024 after winning both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, currently serves as Red Bull's Global Head of Football. However, reports suggest his RB Leipzig agreement contains a verbal release clause that would allow him to leave should the German national team approach him.

The 59-year-old has remained a prominent figure throughout the World Cup, working as a television pundit in Germany, and continues to enjoy immense popularity among supporters.

With another painful tournament ending and a second managerial departure in less than three years, Germany now faces another major rebuild. The DFB must decide whether Klopp is the man to restore one of international football's traditional powerhouses after a prolonged period of underachievement on the biggest stage.