Not Just Teams Are Falling: One in Four Coaches Who Started the 2026 World Cup Are No Longer in Charge

The 2026 World Cup has not only produced shocking eliminations on the pitch. It has also triggered a major shake-up on the sidelines, with 12 national team coaches already leaving their positions—representing one in every four managers who started the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup Is Also Bringing Major Changes to the Dugouts

Eliminations do not only affect players. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup progresses, the list of departing coaches continues to grow, proving once again that football's biggest tournament remains the ultimate test for every national team manager.

The latest departure came from Zlatko Dalic, who decided to end his nearly nine-year spell in charge of Croatia. The coach, who guided Croatia through the most successful era in its football history, informed the Croatian Football Federation of his decision following the team's Round of 32 defeat to Portugal. Dalic described stepping down as "the most difficult decision" of his career.

His departure increased the total to 12 coaches who will not continue after the World Cup. According to information released by several national federations and international news agencies, that figure represents 25% of all head coaches who began the tournament, highlighting the enormous pressure surrounding national team projects.

Some Departures Were Expected, Others Came as a Surprise

Every case tells a different story. Marcelo Bielsa, for example, had already announced that his spell with Uruguay would come to an end after the World Cup. The group-stage elimination simply confirmed a farewell that had already been scheduled.

In Mexico, the defeat to England marked the end of Javier Aguirre's third stint as national team coach. His departure was already part of the Mexican Football Federation's transition plan, with Rafael Márquez expected to take over.

Ronald Koeman stepped down as Netherlands head coach after his side's Round of 32 elimination, publicly acknowledging his disappointment at falling short of expectations. A similar situation unfolded with Sebastián Beccacece, who bid farewell to Ecuador while thanking his players and insisting they had given everything throughout the campaign.

The same was true for Julian Nagelsmann, whose time with Germany ended after the loss to Paraguay. Although he initially expressed his willingness to stay, he resigned a few days later.

Meanwhile, Roberto Martínez concluded his three-and-a-half-year tenure with Portugal after the team's Round of 16 elimination, bringing another high-profile international project to an end.

Coaches Who Have Left After the 2026 World Cup

So far, these are the national team coaches who will not continue after the tournament:

Sabri Lamouchi (Tunisia): the first coach to leave, dismissed shortly after the opening match following a heavy defeat to Sweden.
Steve Clarke (Scotland): ended his tenure after Scotland failed to advance from the group stage, despite leading the nation back to a World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
Miroslav Koubek (Czech Republic): stepped down days after the group-stage exit, citing the hostile media environment in his country as one of the reasons.
Hong Myung-bo (South Korea): left following an early elimination amid intense criticism and even threats directed toward him.
Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay): completed a cycle that had already been planned to end after the tournament.
Sebastián Beccacece (Ecuador): departed after Ecuador's loss to Mexico in the Round of 32, thanking his players for their commitment.
Ronald Koeman (Netherlands): resigned after the defeat to Morocco.
Julian Nagelsmann (Germany): ended his spell after Germany's loss to Paraguay.
Javier Aguirre (Mexico): concluded his third tenure following the Round of 16 defeat.
Carlos Queiroz (Ghana): stepped down after Ghana's elimination against Colombia.
Roberto Martínez (Portugal): announced his departure after losing to Spain.
Zlatko Dalic (Croatia): closed a historic chapter that included reaching the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final and finishing third in 2022.

Is This the Beginning of a New Generation of National Team Coaches?

The 2026 World Cup is marking the end of several long-term projects. Some, like Dalic's, leave behind a legacy that will be difficult to match, while others came to an end before meeting expectations.

What stands out is the variety of circumstances. Some coaches resigned voluntarily, others had already planned their departures before the tournament, and several simply could not survive the pressure that comes with World Cup elimination.