Rabat – The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already led to major changes on the sidelines, with 16 national team coaches leaving their positions after their countries failed to meet expectations during the tournament.
Several well-known names are among those who paid the price for disappointing World Cup campaigns. Portugal’s Roberto Martínez, Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann, Croatia’s Zlatko Dalić, the Netherlands’ Ronald Koeman, and Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa are all set to depart after their teams fell short of their objectives.
African football has also been heavily affected. Senegal’s Pape Thiaw, Ghana’s Carlos Queiroz, South Africa’s Hugo Broos, and Tunisia, where both Sabri Lamouchi and Hervé Renard left their roles, are among the nations beginning a new chapter after the tournament.
Elsewhere, Mexico’s Javier Aguirre, Jordan’s Jamal Sellami, Ecuador’s Sebastián Beccacece, the Czech Republic’s Miroslav Koubek, Scotland’s Steve Clarke, and South Korea’s Hong Myung-bo have also seen their World Cup campaigns result in managerial changes.
The wave of departures points to the immense pressure national team coaches face at football’s biggest tournament, where a single disappointing campaign can quickly end a project regardless of previous success.
With several major football nations now searching for new managers, the coming months are expected to bring significant movement in the international coaching market ahead of the next cycle of continental competitions and World Cup qualification.
