Julian Nagelsmann has resigned from his role as Germany head coach following the nation’s last-32 exit from the World Cup 2026.
The four-time champions were beaten by Paraguay in a penalty shootout meaning they have once again failed to win a knockout game at the World Cup since being crowned champions in 2014.
It was also their first ever shootout defeat at the tournament and dumped them out of the competition following an indifferent group stage campaign.
Nagelsmann’s team hammered Curacao 7-1 in their opening match but were unconvincing against Ivory Coast before losing to Ecuador in their final game.
Following Germany’s exit from the World Cup on Monday, Nagelsmann said: “I’m not one of those people who sits here and says, ‘I’m resigning now, just because we’ve been eliminated’. If the DFB wants me to continue then I’ll continue and if they don’t want me to, then they can tell me that.”
And Germany’s football association DFB confirmed on Friday that they have asked the 38-year-old to step down from his position.
“The German Football Association expressly thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his work since September 2023. He is characterised by a high level of commitment and extraordinary ambition. Julian Nagelsmann is also an extremely responsible and sincere person whom we all value,” DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement.
DFB also confirmed they would pursue talks with former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to replace Nagelsmann.
They said: “Regarding the appointment of a new coach, the DFB leadership will now seek talks with Jürgen Klopp . He has already signaled his general willingness to take on the position.”
Nagelsmann was appointed in September 2023 and took Germany to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 where they were defeated by eventually winners Spain.
“The decision was anything but easy for me,” Nagelsmann said of his resignation in a statement.
“My top priority has always been the success of the team. After such a bitter disappointment, it deserves the chance of a new beginning.
“I am sorry and hurt from the bottom of my heart that we disappointed you and couldn’t give you any more football nights at this World Cup.”
Klopp, meanwhile, is Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, a position he has held since January 2025. He oversees Red Bull’s network of clubs—including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and the New York Red Bulls but it is understood that there is a clause in his contract allowing him to leave if the German national manager role was available.
More recently Klopp has been working as a pundit at the World Cup and said after the Paraguay match that it was not the right time to discuss his future.
He said in quotes reported on Bild: “I understand that when people talk about the national coach, my name is mentioned. But it’s not the right moment to talk about it, especially not with me.”
