Nagelsmann resigns as Germany coach after World Cup exit; DFB turns to Klopp

Julian Nagelsmann has resigned as head coach of Germany's national team, ending a turbulent three-year tenure just four days after the four-time world champions were eliminated in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. The German Football Association (DFB) confirmed the departure on Friday and said it would immediately open talks with Jürgen Klopp about taking over.

The 38-year-old's exit closes a chapter that had promised a revival but ultimately delivered another early tournament collapse. Nagelsmann had insisted in the immediate aftermath of defeat that he would remain in charge; within days, after a lengthy meeting with DFB leadership in Frankfurt, a voluntary departure had been agreed.

A shootout that ended an era

Germany's campaign unravelled on 29 June at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where they drew 1-1 with Paraguay after extra time before losing the penalty shootout 4-3. Julio Enciso put the South Americans ahead in the 42nd minute; Kai Havertz levelled in the 54th. A Jonathan Tah header was disallowed by VAR in extra time, and in the shootout Havertz and Nick Woltemade were both denied by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill before Tah blazed his kick over the bar.

It was the first World Cup penalty shootout Germany had ever lost, an unforgiving end for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times, most recently in 2014. Havertz, who had already exited early at the 2022 tournament, did not hide his anguish afterwards.

"My second World Cup, and we've blown it twice. The only thing I can say is I'm sorry."

Nagelsmann's own post-match assessment was more clinical. "We just took too long to start playing down the wings," he said. "We were in control, but we lacked that cutting edge." At that stage he was defiant about his future, telling reporters he was "not someone who runs away" and that he would continue if the federation wanted him to.

From defiance to departure

That resolve did not survive the week. In his farewell statement, Nagelsmann framed the decision as being in the team's interest rather than a retreat.

"The decision was anything but easy for me," he said. "My top priority has always been the success of the team." He added that after "such a painful disappointment, the team deserves the opportunity for a true new start," apologising to supporters for an early exit that denied them "any more football nights at this World Cup."

Appointed in September 2023, Nagelsmann took over a side in disarray and restored a measure of belief, guiding Germany to the quarter-finals of a home European Championship in 2024, where they were narrowly beaten by eventual winners Spain. On the strength of that run his contract was extended through Euro 2028. A second successive World Cup humiliation, however, proved decisive. His assistants Benjamin Glück and Benjamin Hübner also left their posts.

DFB President Bernd Neuendorf paid tribute to the departing coach.

"The German Football Association expressly thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his work since September 2023."

Why the DFB wants Klopp

Attention has turned quickly, and pointedly, to a single name. In the same announcement the federation signalled its clear preference for the succession:

"Regarding the appointment of a new coach, the DFB leadership will now seek talks with Jurgen Klopp. He has already signalled his general willingness to take on the position."

Klopp, 59, has long been cast as the sentimental and strategic choice to lead the national team. The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager left Anfield in 2024 after nearly nine years during which he won the Champions League and the Premier League, and he has since served as Red Bull's global head of soccer. He has repeatedly said he would consider the Germany job for the right reasons.

Crucially, the practical obstacles appear surmountable. According to multiple German outlets, Klopp's Red Bull contract contains a release clause tailored to precisely this scenario, allowing him to leave should the national team come calling. Taking the role would mark his return to the touchline for the first time since Liverpool.

What the DFB is weighing is not only a coach but a reset. Consider the stakes now facing German football:

A generational squad has exited three of its last four major tournaments before the semi-finals, including group-stage failures at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The next World Cup cycle runs to 2030, giving a new coach time to rebuild, but Euro 2028 looms first.

Klopp's appointment would carry immediate public buy-in in a way few other candidates could match.

For now, the federation has an emphatic name and a willing target, but no deal. Talks with Klopp are expected to begin without delay. Whoever takes the job inherits a proud but bruised programme, and the task of ensuring that Germany's earliest World Cup exits do not harden into a habit.