Nagelsmann’s departure leaves the door open for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to succeed him if he wants the job.
Published July 3, 2026
German national football association DFB announced on Friday that Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann was asked to resign following the team’s early exit from the World Cup and has agreed to step down after discussions with senior officials.
Nagelsmann, who was under contract until the 2028 European Championship, resigned four days after Germany lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay in one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup finals.
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“The German Football Association is deeply grateful to Julian Nagelsmann for his work since September 2023,” DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement.
“His characteristics are a high level of dedication and exceptional ambition. Julian Nagelsmann is also a very responsible and honest person, which we all value highly.”
German tabloid Bild reported that Nagelsmann took part in a three-hour meeting at DFB headquarters in Frankfurt on Thursday, during which he was offered a severance package of 7 million euros (approximately 800 million yen), the equivalent of about one year’s salary, as a condition of his resignation.
Germany’s World Cup performance is the worst
Nagelsmann becomes the second national team coach in Germany’s history to be forced to resign, following his predecessor Hansi Flick who suffered the same fate in 2023.
“This decision was never easy for me,” Nagelsmann said in a statement.
“My first priority has always been the success of the team. After such a terrible disappointment, we deserve a chance for a fresh start.”
Coach Nagelsmann apologized to the fans, saying, “I am deeply sorry and hurt that I let you all down and couldn’t provide you with more nights of soccer at the World Cup.”
Germany lost to Paraguay in Boston, making it their third consecutive World Cup failure. The four-time World Cup champions were eliminated in the group stage at Russia in 2018 and Qatar four years ago.
They have not won a knockout match or kept a clean sheet in the competition since the 2014 final, when they beat Argentina 1-0 in Brazil.
Klopp is ‘negotiating’ for job in Germany
Nagelsmann’s departure leaves the door open for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the federation’s leading candidate, to take his place.
The DFB has announced that talks will begin with former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager Klopp, who has said he is “fundamentally keen” to become Germany manager.
Klopp, who will leave Liverpool in 2024 after a hugely successful run that included winning the Champions League and Premier League and is currently Red Bull’s global head of football, reportedly has a release clause in his contract that would allow him to take up the Germany international job.
The 59-year-old remains hugely popular in Germany, where he works as a pundit on German television throughout the World Cup.
