17 managers out: 2026 World Cup managerial exodus doubles Qatar 2022
When seven head coaches parted ways with their national teams in the wake of Qatar 2022, it barely caused a ripple across the global football landscape, as most chose to step aside at the natural end of their cycles. That group featured heavyweights like Brazil’s Tite, the Netherlands’ Louis van Gaal, Mexico’s Gerardo Martino, Belgium’s […]
When seven head coaches parted ways with their national teams in the wake of Qatar 2022, it barely caused a ripple across the global football landscape, as most chose to step aside at the natural end of their cycles.
That group featured heavyweights like Brazil’s Tite, the Netherlands’ Louis van Gaal, Mexico’s Gerardo Martino, Belgium’s Roberto Martínez, Ghana’s Otto Addo, South Korea’s Paulo Bento, and Spain’s Luis Enrique.
Four years later, however, the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered a managerial reckoning of unprecedented proportions. A mere matter of days into the tournament, the touchline casualties began mounting at a staggering pace.
By the time the final whistle blew, an astonishing 17 of the 48 managers had left their posts through a chaotic mix of firings, resignations, expired contracts, and mutual divorces, effectively doubling the toll of the previous edition.
So, the 2026 World Cup edition recorded an increase in both countries’ participation and coaches’ departures. Weekend Trust Sports, therefore, highlights the coaches who left their positions during and after the tournament.
Tunisia dismissed Sabri Lamouchi
The sledgehammer of dismissal fell on French Sabri Lamouchi after a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match, making him the tournament’s first managerial casualty.
Lamouchi was sacked after one match and was replaced by Tunisian former player Mondher Kebaier, who led the national team from 2019 to 2022. The African side lost their three group stage matches, leaving the tournament with poor results.
Deschamps bowed out after a 14-year stint
Among the most notable departures was Didier Deschamps, whose exit brought an end to one of the greatest coaching eras in international football.
After 14 years in charge of France, Deschamps left with a remarkable legacy. He guided Les Bleus to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title, the 2022 World Cup final, the UEFA Nations League trophy and multiple major tournament appearances.
His greatest achievement was restoring France as one of football’s dominant forces after years of inconsistency. However, despite another talented generation, he was unable to add a second World Cup title before stepping aside after France’s campaign ended with a third-place defeat to England.
Zlatko Dalić ended 9-year spell with Croatia
After the 2-1 loss to Portugal in the Round of 32, Zlatko Dalić stepped down as the head coach of the Croatia national football team, bringing a legendary nine-year tenure to its definitive conclusion.
He departed as the most successful manager in Croatian football history. His departure marks the end of an era for the nation’s historic modern golden generation.
Martínez parted way with Portugal after 3 years
Roberto Martinez was sacked following Portugal’s last-16 loss to Spain. He had already announced that he would be leaving the role he had held since January 2023.
Martinez, 52, led Portugal to the UEFA Nations League title in 2025, but his side departed Euro 2024 at the quarter-final stage with a penalty-shootout defeat to France.
The 2026 World Cup Round of 16 elimination proved disappointing, and with his contract expiring, both parties agreed to part ways.
Garcia to step down as head coach of Belgium
The days of Rudi Garcia as the head coach of Belgium is left, with 7 days as his contract expires on July 31.
According to the Royal Belgian Football Association, Garcia’s contract will not be extended, leaving him out of a job after the expiration of his contract.
The Frenchman guided the Belgium team to reach the quarter-finals before leaving after 18 months of his contract.
Garcia recorded 12 wins, six draws and two defeats in 20 matches during his stint.
Germany sacked Julian Nagelsmann
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann was asked to step down after the team was stunned by Paraguay, losing 4-3 on penalties in one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup knockouts.
It was an early World Cup exit for the four-time world champions.
Nagelsmann, one of Europe’s youngest high-profile tacticians, became the national coach with the responsibility of rebuilding Germany after consecutive disappointing major tournaments.
However, he left the position even as his contract was to last till the 2028 European Championship.
Koeman ended his second spell with Netherlands
Ronald Koeman resigned as the head coach of the Netherlands national football team following a disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in his second spell with the Dutch national team.
The Netherlands was eliminated in the World Cup Round of 32 by Morocco after a late stoppage-time equalizer by Morocco forced a 1–1 draw; the Dutch lost 2-3 in the subsequent penalty shootout.
Koeman returned to the Netherlands National Team on January 1, 2023, overtaking the managerial job from Louis van Gaal after the 2022 World Cup. This marked his second stint managing the “Oranje,” having previously coached them from 2018 to 2020 before departing for Barcelona.
Bielsa bowed out as Uruguay head coach
Marcelo Bielsa stepped down as the head coach of the Uruguay national football team following a disastrous group-stage exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Placed in a group with Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde, Uruguay failed to win a single match. They managed only a 1–1 draw with Saudi Arabia and a 2–2 draw with Cape Verde before losing 1–0 to Spain.
He enjoyed early success when he became the national team’s head coach in 2023, leading Uruguay to a third-place finish after defeating Canada during the Copa América 2024.
Aguirre ended third time spell with Mexico
Mexico’s Javier Aguirre resigned from coaching his country for a third time following a Round of 16 defeat in a dramatic 3–2 loss to a 10-man England squad in the Round of 16.
He was hired for his third separate stint as Mexico’s manager in July 2024. Aguirre’s extensive international experience helped stabilise Mexico after previous managerial changes, but he was again unable to guide El Tri beyond the elusive quarter-final barrier that has haunted successive generations.
Beccacece resigned as Ecuador’s head coach
Beccacece resigned as the head coach of the Ecuador national football team following a Round of 32 exit after losing 2-0 to co-hosts Mexico.
Ecuador had an incredibly dramatic World Cup campaign. They lost their opener 1–0 to Ivory Coast and drew 0–0 with Curacao.
In their final group match, facing elimination, Ecuador pulled off a historic 2–1 upset victory over Germany to advance to the knockouts. The win was so massive that Ecuador’s president declared a national holiday, and Beccacece celebrated by wildly climbing over stadium barriers to hug his family.
The 45-year-old Argentine manager became a massive touchline cult hero during the tournament due to his frantic energy, sharp fashion sense, and dramatic post-match celebrations.
Pape Thiaw sacked by Senegal
Pape Thiaw was sacked as the head coach of the Senegal national football team following a highly disappointing campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the dramatic Round of 32 match against Belgium, Senegal held a comfortable 2–0 lead with just five minutes remaining. They imploded, conceding two late goals and eventually losing 3–2 in extra time.
The 45-year-old’s exit closed out a turbulent tenure marred by intense contract disputes, dressing room mutiny, and tactical failure.
Queiroz resigned after 4 months
Carlos Queiroz resigned as the head coach of the Ghana national football team following the team’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a narrow 1–0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32.
Queiroz successfully guided Ghana through a difficult Group L. They secured a 1–0 win over Panama, held heavyweights England to a 0–0 draw, and suffered a tight 2–1 loss to Croatia, advancing to the knockouts as one of the best third-placed teams.
The 73-year-old Portuguese tactician enjoyed a brief, highly historic tenure that stabilized the Black Stars on the global stage. He was hired on a short-term contract on April 13, 2026.
Algeria sacked Vladimir Petković
Vladimir Petković was sacked as the head coach of the Algeria national football team in July 2026, following their elimination in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Algeria lost 2-0 against Switzerland in the Round of 32 after qualifying out of a challenging group featuring world champions Argentina, Austria, and Jordan in Group J,
Hong Myung-bo ended second spell
South Korea’s Hong Myung-bo resigned as the head coach of the South Korea national football team on June 28, 2026, following a disastrous group-stage exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Korea began their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group A with a promising 2–1 victory over Czechia, suffered successive 1–0 defeats to Mexico and South Africa, finishing third in the group with just three points.
Jamal Sellami parted ways with Jordan
Jamal Sellami parted ways with the Jordan national football team following their group-stage elimination.
Placed in a brutal Group J, the tournament debutants struggled against elite opposition. Jordan lost all three of their group matches falling 3–1 to Austria, 2–1 to Algeria, and 3–1 to Argentina to finish bottom of the group
Despite a difficult tournament run, the 55-year-old Moroccan tactician left as a national hero for securing the country’s most historic footballing milestone
Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland coach
Steve Clarke resigned as the head coach of the Scotland national football team following their group-stage elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The team placed in Group C, began their campaign with a promising 1–0 win over Haiti. However, successive defensive breakdowns led to a 1–0 loss to Morocco and a heavy 3–0 defeat to Brazil.
Koubek resigned as Czech Republic’s head coach
Miroslav Koubek resigned as the head coach of the Czech Republic national football team following an early group-stage exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 74-year-old veteran briefly held the record as the oldest coach to ever manage a match in FIFA World Cup history on the opening day of the tournament.