World Cup 2026: Which coaches have left their roles?

Belgium’s Hugo Broos has announced his retirement from head coaching after ending his five-year spell with South Africa, becoming the 15th manager to leave his role during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 74-year-old departs despite guiding Bafana Bafana to a landmark achievement, leading the African side into the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history before they were eliminated by Canada.

Historic World Cup run ends in heartbreak

South Africa’s campaign came to an end in the Round of 32 after conceding a late goal in defeat to Canada, bringing Broos’ successful tenure with Bafana Bafana to a close.

The Belgian also set a World Cup record during the tournament, becoming the oldest coach to manage a team in the knockout rounds at 74 years and 79 days.

Although he has stepped away from frontline coaching, Broos said he is not leaving football entirely and remains open to contributing in other capacities.

He indicated he could continue working in the game as an assistant coach, technical adviser or talent scout, bringing decades of experience to a different role.

World Cup sees wave of coaching departures

Broos’ exit takes the number of managerial changes during the 2026 World Cup to 15 among the tournament’s 48 participating nations.

The departures, resulting from dismissals, resignations or expiring contracts, mean nearly one-third of the teams at the competition will have new leadership after the tournament.

Several high-profile coaches are among those leaving their positions, including Javier Aguirre of Mexico, Roberto Martínez of Portugal, Julian Nagelsmann of Germany, Ronald Koeman of the Netherlands, Zlatko Dalić of Croatia, Marcelo Bielsa of Uruguay and Hervé Renard of Tunisia.

The growing list of exits underlines the intense scrutiny and expectations placed on national team coaches at football’s biggest tournament, where even historic achievements have not guaranteed long-term job security.