12 Coaches Sacked or Resigned After World Cup 2026 Knockouts

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its decisive stages, narrowing down the initial record 48 teams to just 8 as the quarter-finals loom. The remaining contenders include six European nations (France, Belgium, England, Spain, Switzerland, and Norway), one African team (Morocco), and one South American representative (Argentina).

The role of a national team coach during the World Cup carries immense responsibility. Failure to deliver can ignite national disappointment and cast doubt on a coach's credibility. To date, 12 managers have been sacked or resigned after (or in one case, during) the World Cup, representing 25% of the coaches whose teams have been eliminated. This impacts 12 out of the 40 teams already out of contention.

The coaches and their teams' fates include:

• Roberto Martinez (Portugal) - Eliminated in the Round of 16
• Javier Aguirre (Mexico) - Eliminated in the Round of 16
• Carlos Queiroz (Ghana) - Eliminated in the Round of 32
• Julian Nagelsmann (Germany) - Eliminated in the Round of 32
• Sebastián Beccacece (Ecuador) - Eliminated in the Round of 32
• Ronald Koeman (Netherlands) - Eliminated in the Round of 32
• Zlatko Dalić (Croatia) - Eliminated in the Round of 32
• Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay) - Eliminated in the Group Stage
• Miroslav Koubek (Czech Republic) - Eliminated in the Group Stage
• Steve Clarke (Scotland) - Eliminated in the Group Stage
• Hong Myung-bo (South Korea) - Eliminated in the Group Stage
• Sabri Lamouchi (Tunisia) - Sacked after a single group stage match, with the team subsequently eliminated in the group stage.

It's likely that more coaching changes will occur. While elimination in the quarter-finals might not be considered a significant failure for some (for teams like Norway, simply participating was a major achievement), the circumstances surrounding each team's exit vary. None are as extreme as the situation faced by South Korea's Hong Myung-bo, who reportedly fled to the United States for his safety.