The German Football Association confirmed Nagelsmann’s departure with immediate effect after the national side’s elimination in the last 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Germany were beaten by Paraguay on penalties after a campaign that deepened concern over the direction of a team once viewed as the benchmark of tournament football.
Klopp, who left Liverpool in 2024 after nine years at Anfield, is now the preferred candidate to succeed Nagelsmann. The 59-year-old has been working as Red Bull’s head of global soccer since January 2025, a strategic role covering the group’s football network rather than daily coaching. His contract is understood to contain an exit route for the Germany post, removing one of the main obstacles to an appointment.
The move follows a sharp change in tone inside the DFB after Germany failed to build on signs of recovery under Nagelsmann. The former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig coach had taken charge in September 2023 after Hansi Flick was dismissed, becoming part of a wider attempt to stabilise the national team before Euro 2024 and the following World Cup cycle.
Nagelsmann’s contract had been extended to 2028, but the Paraguay defeat forced a reassessment. The 38-year-old said the team needed “the opportunity for a true new start” after what he described as a painful disappointment. DFB president Bernd Neuendorf thanked him for his work, commitment and ambition, while the governing body moved quickly to make Klopp its central target.
Germany’s exit has carried particular weight because it continues a difficult World Cup pattern. The four-time champions went out in the group stage in 2018 and 2022, and the expanded 2026 format did not produce the expected reset. Progress beyond the group phase was not enough to ease public frustration after another early knockout departure.
Klopp’s appeal rests on more than his record. He remains closely associated with emotional leadership, aggressive pressing football and the ability to reconnect teams with supporters. At Borussia Dortmund, he won two Bundesliga titles and reached the Champions League final. At Liverpool, he delivered the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup, restoring the club to Europe’s elite after years of instability.
His possible appointment would also mark a stylistic shift from Nagelsmann’s more analytical approach. Germany’s current squad contains technically strong players across midfield and attack, but the team has struggled to impose itself consistently in high-pressure tournament matches. Klopp’s direct communication and clear tactical identity are seen as qualities that could address a side accused of lacking conviction at decisive moments.
The DFB must still settle several practical questions. Klopp has not managed day to day since leaving Liverpool and had spoken of needing distance from the intensity of frontline coaching. Red Bull would also have to manage the loss of the figurehead around whom it built its global football structure. Even so, the Germany job has long been viewed as one of the few posts capable of tempting him back.
The timing is sensitive. Germany need clarity before the next competitive cycle begins, with qualifying, squad renewal and tactical planning all requiring a permanent coach. Several senior players face questions over their international futures, while younger options will need to be integrated before the next European Championship campaign gathers pace.
Nagelsmann’s exit closes a tenure that began with cautious optimism. Germany reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals before losing to Spain, and there were periods when the side looked more balanced than under Flick. Yet the World Cup defeat revived doubts about mentality, defensive structure and the ability to turn possession into control against disciplined opponents.
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