Julian Nagelsmann has resigned as Germany’s head coach following the country’s disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to multiple German media reports.
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‎The 38-year-old, whose contract with the German Football Federation (DFB) was due to run until the 2028 European Championship, reportedly agreed to leave his position after discussions with federation officials. German outlets Bild and Sky Germany said the DFB requested his resignation, which he accepted.
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‎Nagelsmann’s departure has intensified speculation that former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp could be appointed as Germany’s next coach. Klopp, now serving as Red Bull’s global head of football, is believed to be the DFB’s preferred choice and reportedly has a clause in his contract that would allow him to take the national team job.
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‎The 59-year-old, who guided Liverpool to both the Premier League and Champions League titles before leaving the club in 2024, has been working as a television pundit during the World Cup and remains one of Germany’s most respected football figures.
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‎Reports say Nagelsmann attended a three-hour meeting with DFB officials in Frankfurt on Thursday, where he was offered a severance package worth around €7 million—roughly equivalent to one year’s salary—to end his tenure.
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‎If officially confirmed, Nagelsmann will become only the second Germany national team coach to lose his job, following Hansi Flick, who was dismissed in 2023.
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‎Germany’s World Cup campaign ended in dramatic fashion on Monday after losing a penalty shootout to Paraguay in Boston. The match finished 1-1 after extra time, marking Germany’s first-ever defeat in a World Cup penalty shootout.
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‎The four-time world champions have endured a prolonged decline on football’s biggest stage. They were eliminated in the group phase at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and have not won a knockout match or kept a clean sheet at the tournament since defeating Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final.