Julian Nagelsmann has resigned as Germany coach after his team failed to make the World Cup round of 16 for the third tournament running, and former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is in line to take over.
Nagelsmann's departure, announced on Friday by the national soccer federation, comes four days after Paraguay stunned Germany on penalties in the round of 32 and follows talks with his bosses.
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Jurgen Klopp, left and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann give interviews after Germany's loss during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann acknowledges the fans after a loss during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann leaves a press conference ahead of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The federation said it planned to speak to Klopp and “he has already signaled his willingness in general to take on the role.”
It would be Klopp's first coaching job since leaving Liverpool in 2024.
Nagelsmann initially said he'd stay on with Germany on a contract which had another two years to run and reportedly made him among the highest-paid coaches at the World Cup. He faced mounting criticism over his tactics and team selection at the tournament.
“In the days since we went out I've done a lot of thinking and spoken with trusted people in my personal life and at the (federation),” Nagelsmann said in a statement.
“This decision was anything but easy for me. My main aim has always been the team's success. After such a bitter disappointment, they've earned the chance for a completely fresh start.”
Germany’s defeat by Paraguay followed group-stage losses at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when it was a 32-team tournament. It has not won a men’s World Cup knockout game since beating Argentina in the 2014 final.
Nagelsmann originally said after his side's exit that he was “not one to walk away” but he then returned home for crisis talks with the federation on Thursday.
His departure drew a tribute from the head of the German government.
“The chancellor thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his commitment and service in recent years as national team coach,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters at a government news conference that was taking place as the news arrived.
Klopp was a high-profile presence as a pundit on German TV at the World Cup, even taking part in postgame interviews with Nagelsmann at the side of the field.
“I haven't thought about it,” Klopp told Magenta TV on Monday after Germany went out, adding it was “not the moment to really talk about it”.
Klopp is currently in an executive role as head of global soccer for the Red Bull group. Germany’s next game isn’t until Sept. 24 in the Nations League against the Netherlands.
Nagelsmann sparked debate in Germany by recalling 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer before the World Cup after using Oliver Baumann in qualifying.
There was also criticism of his decision to keep starting Leroy Sane, another of his old Bayern Munich players, on the wing, and to give the right-back role to Joshua Kimmich, who usually plays as a midfielder at Bayern, rather than pick a specialist.
That left central defender Waldemar Anton covering the position in the latter stages of the loss to Paraguay. Tall striker Nick Woltemade played every game in qualifying but stayed on the bench at the World Cup until near the end of the round of 32 game.
The youngest coach at the World Cup at 38, Nagelsmann had been in the Germany job since 2023 and extended his contract last year through to Euro 2028. Initially a stopgap replacement ahead of hosting Euro 2024, he stayed on after a quarterfinal loss in that tournament to eventual champion Spain.
Nagelsmann is the latest in a string of big-name coaches to leave after early exits at the World Cup.
Ronald Koeman left the Netherlands after a shock loss on penalties which came hours after Germany’s defeat.
Coaches for Ecuador, South Korea, Scotland and the Czech Republic have all left too, while Marcelo Bielsa was already planning to step down as Uruguay coach even before the team was eliminated in the group stage.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Jurgen Klopp, left and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann give interviews after Germany's loss during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann acknowledges the fans after a loss during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann leaves a press conference ahead of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with banners across Tehran urging the public to rise up in support of the Islamic Republic after the devastating war that killed the 86-year-old cleric.
The country's theocracy plans to see millions flood the streets of the capital beginning Saturday in scenes reminiscent to the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
That could provide a boost for Iran's government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war, and as concern still lingers that Israel could attack yet again.
Despite that, a powerful general who leads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged publicly for the first time in months for the funeral. Other top government officials likely will be on hand alongside foreign dignitaries as well in show of strength of Iran.
“As long as these people, who are chosen (by God), are on the field, we will definitely continue the same ‘no to humiliation’ policy that was founded by the Islamic Republic,” said Mohammad Hossein Rezaei, a volunteer preparing for the funeral Friday.
“We will continue our policy of pursuing independence, and decisions will be made inside the country, and the people will decide their own fate,” he said.
Khamenei's flag-draped coffin sat at Tehran's Grand Mosalla alongside family members killed in the Israeli airstrike that came in the first moments of the war on Feb. 28.
The dead being honored include a son-in-law, his eldest daughter, a 14-month-old granddaughter and the wife of Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the previous leader who remains in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the attack.
Religious leaders and foreign dignitaries walked up to Khamenei’s casket as a military band played or a man sang prayers. Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, key leaders in the country's civilian government, all paid their respects.
Video published by Iranian state media showed an earlier mourning ceremony Thursday night for Khamenei. The black-clad mourners, whom state media identified as coming from families of those who lost loved ones in the 12-day war in 2025 and the recent Iran war, threw scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing.
Later, state media showed images of Khamenei’s casket draped by a red flag with white calligraphy reading “Ya Hussein,” a Shiite expression in remembrance of the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. It had been flying over the Imam Hussein golden-domed shrine in Karbala, Iraq. The flag also traditionally symbolizes both the spilled blood of someone unjustly killed and a call for vengeance.
Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen. Ahmad Vahidi attending a meeting Thursday about the funeral of Khamenei, then sitting alongside his casket as Iran's theocracy held a smaller service for him Thursday night near the supreme leader's former home in downtown Tehran.
Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say. He hadn't been seen publicly since Feb. 8, weeks before the Iran war began. Israel killed top leaders in Iran’s military and government during the war, and has threatened the life of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as well. Vahidi is believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with the younger Khamenei.
It remains unclear whether Khamenei will appear at his father's funeral. His father appeared in 1989 at Khomeini's funeral, weeping visibly, as he began his journey to lead Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.
Israel repeatedly has threatened to kill Khamenei, something that drew a warning from Iran's joint military command Thursday.
“We warn the enemies of a strong Iran, especially the United States, the Israeli regime and their regional and extraregional accomplices, to avoid any miscalculation and to consider the harsh and regret-inducing responses that the sons of the Iranian nation in the armed forces will give to any threat or aggression against our beloved country,” the military command said.
Beginning Saturday, Iran will hold the dayslong funeral for Khamenei and his body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. Authorities plan to shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as mourners commemorate the life of Khamenei.
In Tehran, images of the late Khamenei's fist could be seen in banners and in a giant statue in Tehran's Enghelab Square, framed by what appeared to be ballistic missiles flying through the air. In his first message to the nation, read by a state television anchor, Mojtaba Khamenei said he saw his father’s body after his death with raised, clenched fist.
The banners read in Arabic, English and Farsi: “We must rise.”
“This fist is the clenched fist of all us Muslims,” taxi driver Jafar Javadi said. “The leader’s fist is a sign all our fists are clenched and they (the enemies) will be destroyed with these fists, God willing. We will continue chanting death to America and death to Israel with the same clenched fist.”
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
Iranian religious leaders and other mourners walk past the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) CORRECTION : The religious leaders are Iranian, not foreigners
Iranian religious leaders and other mourners pay their respects before the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center on top, and members of his family are displayed ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Revolutionary Guard members and clerics mourn on the esplanade of the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque as preparations are underway ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Foreign religious leaders and other mourners walk past the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The casket of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, is displayed alongside the caskets of Khamenei and other members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iran's Basij paramilitary forces set up a checkpoint at a square ahead of the funeral ceremonies of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown at the billboard at rear, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The coffin of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried into the Mosalla Grand Mosque ahead of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
In this photo released by Iran's Supreme Leader's office, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Gen. Ahmad Vahidi sits alongside Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casket as it lies in a mourning hall adjacent to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya within the Supreme Leader's compound before his funeral in Tehran, Iran, late Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
A portrait of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and an Iranian flag are displayed in the window of a book store ahead of Khamenei's funeral ceremonies, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
In this photo released by Iran's Supreme Leader's office, mourners react as they gather around the coffin of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as it lies in a mourning hall adjacent to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya within the Supreme Leader's compound before his funeral in Tehran, Iran, late Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
In this photo released by Iran's Supreme Leader's office, mourners gather around the coffin of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as it lies in a mourning hall adjacent to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya within the Supreme Leader's compound before his funeral in Tehran, Iran, late Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
In this photo released by Iran's Supreme Leader's office, mourners gather around the coffin of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as it lies in a mourning hall adjacent to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya within the Supreme Leader's compound before his funeral in Tehran, Iran, late Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
