World Cup 2026: Ronald Koeman leaves the Dutch national team after elimination.
Eliminated by Morocco in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the Netherlands saw their coach Ronald Koeman announce his resignation. The coach becomes the fourth trainer to leave his position since the start of the tournament.
The adventure of Ronald Koeman at the helm of the Netherlands is over. The day after the Oranje’s elimination in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the Dutch coach officially announced his departure. The Dutch team’s journey ended against Morocco, which triumphed after a particularly hard-fought match.
In a statement, Koeman explained that he made his decision after a night of reflection, fully accepting responsibility for this failure. “I decided last night that it was time to leave my position as coach of the Netherlands. We all shared the dream of making history in this World Cup, but we did not succeed. No one is more disappointed than I am. As the head coach, the ultimate responsibility falls to me,” said the Dutch technician.
Ronald Koeman thus becomes the fourth coach to leave his post since the beginning of the competition. Before him, Miroslav Koubek resigned after the Czech Republic’s elimination in the group stage. Steve Clarke also stepped down after Scotland’s early exit, while Hong Myung-bo had submitted his resignation following South Korea’s elimination in the first round. These successive departures illustrate the consequences of underperformance in a World Cup, where early eliminations often lead to a reevaluation of sports projects and changes in the leadership of national teams.
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