German national coach Julian Nagelsmann has resigned following his team’s shock elimination from the World Cup last 32 by Paraguay, several media reported on Friday.
Nagelsmann, who was under contract until the 2028 European Championship, has accepted the German Football Association’s (DFB) request to resign. Bild and Sky Germany reported.
His departure could open the door for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who is believed to be the federation’s favorite candidate to take over.
Klopp, who left Liverpool in 2024 after a hugely successful spell that saw him win the Champions League and the Premier League, is currently Red Bull’s global head of football. However, he reportedly has a release clause that would allow him to take the job in Germany.
The 59-year-old remains hugely popular in Germany and has worked as a pundit on German television throughout the World Cup.
Nagelsmann took part in a three-hour meeting at DFB headquarters in Frankfurt on Thursday, where he was reportedly offered a severance package of seven million euros (roughly equivalent to a year’s salary) to leave the position.
If his departure is confirmed, the 38-year-old Nagelsmann would become only the second national coach in German history to be dismissed, after his predecessor Hansi Flick suffered the same fate in 2023.
Germany crashed out in a penalty shootout against Paraguay in Boston on Monday after the match ended 1-1 after extra time. It was the first time that Germany lost a penalty shootout at a World Cup.
The four-time World Cup champion was eliminated in the group stage in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Germany have not won a knockout match or kept a clean sheet at the tournament since the 2014 final, when they defeated Argentina 1-0 in Brazil.
Published on July 3, 2026
