World Cup 2026 Fallout: 17 Managers Shown the Door as Klopp, Zidane, Xavi and Mancini Loom Large

The dust has barely settled on the 2026 World Cup, but the managerial merry-go-round is already spinning at full speed — and it is claiming victims at an astonishing rate. According to The Guardian's Football Daily newsletter, a remarkable 17 head coaches who guided teams through the tournament in North America have already left their roles, a purge of near-unprecedented scale in international football. Thomas Tuchel, however, is not among the casualties. The German, as The Guardian colourfully puts it, continues to convince the Football Association that he bore no responsibility for England's comically shambolic semi-final exit at the hands of Argentina — a feat of political survival that arguably rivals anything he achieved on the touchline. Elsewhere, the axe has fallen hard. Steve Clarke's safety-first Scotland tenure has ended, Roberto Martínez's remarkable knack for failing upward has finally hit a ceiling, and Marcelo Bielsa's intense reign has run its course. With the Nations League looming, several European sides will begin their campaigns under fresh leadership. Jorge Jesus has taken the reins at Portugal, Slaven Bilic inherits Croatia, Sébastien Pocognoli steps in for Scotland, Santi Denia leads Czechia, and Mark van Bommel anchors Belgium's latest rebuild. But the real intrigue lies with what The Guardian describes as the bigger dogs of the football pack. Jürgen Klopp, Xavi Hernández, Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Mancini — four colossal names of the modern coaching era — are all currently without national teams, and the suggestion is that the game's heavyweight federations are ready to unleash them. Zidane's next move may be the most tantalising of all. The Guardian's Jonathan Wilson examines the prospect of the French legend taking over his homeland, framing the potential appointment as revealing the wizard behind the curtain — a fitting metaphor for a man whose post-playing career has been built on mystique, silverware and long silences between jobs. Wilson, whose new book on Eastern European football, Behind the Curtain, has just been published, is well placed to assess whether France's gamble on a hometown icon would be genius or nostalgia. For federations weighing change, the market has rarely looked so stacked. Klopp brings gegenpressing intensity and a proven track record of resurrecting sleeping giants. Xavi offers tactical idealism honed at Barcelona. Mancini carries the pedigree of a European Championship winner. With 17 seats already vacated and more potentially to follow as post-tournament reviews continue, the coming weeks promise one of the most dramatic game of musical chairs international football has ever seen. One thing is certain: whoever moves next, the era of modest appointments appears to be over. The big dogs are off the leash. This article is based on reporting from The Guardian's Football Daily newsletter.