Nagelsmann resigns – Julian Nagelsmann has resigned as Germany coach after the team failed to reach the World Cup Round of 16 for a third straight tournament. The national federation announced his exit on Friday after Germany’s penalty shootout loss to Paraguay in the Round of 32,
Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany era ended on Friday, with the national federation confirming that the coach has resigned after another World Cup disappointment: a third straight time failing to reach the Round of 16.
The timing was stark. Germany’s elimination came four days after Paraguay stunned them on penalties in the Round of 32. It followed group-stage defeats at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the tournament was a 32-team competition.
As the federation moved to break the deadlock. it also began turning its attention toward a familiar name in European football. The federation said it planned to speak to Jürgen Klopp and that he “has already signaled his willingness in general to take on the role.” For Klopp. this would be his first coaching job since leaving Liverpool in 2024.
Nagelsmann’s resignation did not come out of nowhere. He had initially said he would stay on despite the criticism that built around his tactics and team selection at the World Cup. including the fact that his contract had another two years to run and reportedly positioned him among the highest-paid coaches at the tournament. But the defeat to Paraguay changed the temperature in the camp.
In his statement after the decision, Nagelsmann described the resignation as something he had wrestled with. “In the days since we went out I’ve done a lot of thinking and spoken with trusted people in my personal life and at the (federation). ” he said. “This decision was anything but easy for me. My main aim has always been the team’s success. After such a bitter disappointment, they’ve earned the chance for a completely fresh start.”.
That line about “a completely fresh start” mattered because Germany’s World Cup record now looks cruelly consistent in knockout failure. Germany has not won a men’s World Cup knockout match since beating Argentina in the 2014 final.
Nagelsmann, 38, is the youngest coach at the World Cup and had been in charge since 2023. He extended his contract last year through to Euro 2028, after initially taking over as a stopgap ahead of hosting Euro 2024. He remained in the job after Germany’s quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Spain.
Before the Paraguay defeat, Nagelsmann had already been dealing with debate inside Germany about how he shaped the squad. The sharpest discussion came from the way he handled goalkeeper choices. Ahead of the World Cup, he recalled 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after using Oliver Baumann in qualifying. At the tournament itself. there was also criticism around his insistence on keeping Leroy Sane in the starting lineup on the wing. and his decision to give the right-back role to Joshua Kimmich—usually a midfielder for Bayern Munich—instead of choosing a specialist.
Late in the loss to Paraguay, Waldemar Anton was covering that right-back position. Up front, Nick Woltemade—who played every game in qualifying—stayed on the bench at the World Cup until near the end of the Round of 32 match.
The resignation also marks a shift that has been building across football’s biggest stages. Nagelsmann is the latest in a string of big-name coaching exits tied to early World Cup eliminations. Ronald Koeman left the Netherlands after a shock loss on penalties that came hours after Germany’s defeat. Coaches for Ecuador. South Korea. Scotland. and Czechia have also left. while Marcelo Bielsa was already planning to step down as Uruguay coach before Uruguay were eliminated in the group stage.
In Germany, the political world moved too. The government’s response arrived as the news broke: Stefan Kornelius. the spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. told reporters at a government news conference that was taking place as the resignation arrived. “The chancellor thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his commitment and service in recent years as national team coach,” Kornelius said.
Away from the press conference rooms, Klopp had been a visible presence throughout the tournament. He was pitchside on German TV as a pundit, even joining postgame interviews with Nagelsmann after Germany’s elimination.
“I haven’t thought about it. ” Klopp told Magenta TV on Monday after Germany went out. adding that “it was not the moment to really talk about it.” Now. as Germany prepares to plan its next step. the federation’s intention is clear: speak to Klopp. confirm fit. and rebuild after a failure that has now repeated itself across three World Cups.
Germany’s next game will not be until Sept. 24, when they play the Netherlands in the Nations League.
Julian Nagelsmann Germany coach Jürgen Klopp World Cup Paraguay Round of 32 Nations League Manuel Neuer Leroy Sane Joshua Kimmich