Three coaches have resigned after their respective teams were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup has not only delivered on-pitch drama, but has also triggered major upheaval within international coaching ranks. A number of head coaches have chosen to resign after failing to meet tournament progression targets for their national sides, including Czech Republic manager Miroslav Koubek.

Koubek officially stepped down from his position following the Czech Republic's group stage elimination. The side, nicknamed Narodak, exited Group A without a single win: they recorded just one draw and two defeats, finishing bottom of the group behind South Korea, South Africa and Mexico.

This decision was directly confirmed by David Trunda, President of the Football Association of the Czech Republic. He stated that the resignation came entirely on the coach's own initiative.

"The coach offered his resignation to me during a private meeting earlier today. After holding open, honest discussions, I made the decision to accept this resignation," Trunda stated, as quoted on FIFA's official website.

Koubek's departure comes as a surprise, given the 74-year-old had only recently taken charge of the Czech national side. He was appointed as head coach on 12 December 2025, ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualification play-off matches.

Under his leadership, the Czech Republic enjoyed a promising start. Koubek guided the team to qualify for the World Cup finals after winning two dramatic penalty shoot-out fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. This achievement ended the nation's 20-year wait to return to the World Cup stage.

This positive momentum continued even after securing their spot at the finals, with the Czech Republic recording four consecutive victories. This run included a 2-1 win over Kosovo and a 3-1 defeat of Guatemala in international friendly matches.

However, this strong form did not carry through into the main finals tournament. The Czech Republic struggled to compete in Group A, ultimately crashing out of the competition at the first hurdle.

Koubek is not the only head coach to end their tenure following elimination from the 2026 World Cup. South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo also announced his resignation after the Taeguk Warriors were knocked out in the group stage.

The failure to guide South Korea through to the Round of 32 triggered a full internal review. Hong Myung-bo also issued a public apology for the results, which fell short of the expectations held by South Korea's football community.

Elsewhere, the Netherlands also saw a coaching change after Ronald Koeman tendered his resignation. This decision followed De Oranje's tournament exit, after they were eliminated via a penalty shoot-out defeat to Morocco in the Round of 32.

This wave of coaching resignations lays bare the immense pressure faced by managers at the World Cup. When on-pitch results fail to meet expectations, changes in the head coach position very frequently become the unavoidable consequence.