A 12th FIFA World Cup manager has departed his national team as the tournament progresses into the quarterfinals.
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic resigned from his position after nine years with the national team following a Round of 32 elimination at the World Cup. The 59-year-old took charge in 2017 and guided Croatia to a runner-up finish at the 2018 World Cup and a third-place finish in 2022.
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He is widely considered the greatest coach in Croatian soccer history. This follows Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia forming his assessment of Folarin Balogun after the United States star came to speak with him, as per The Mirror US.
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Croatia suffered a heartbreaking Round of 32 exit in a last-second defeat to Portugal that was overshadowed by a contentious VAR decision in the dying moments of the match.
Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol believed he had netted the equalizing goal in the 103rd minute, only for referees to rule it out for an offside offense in the buildup.
Mario Pasalic was adjudged offside after the ball reached him via a deflection off teammate Igor Matanovic’s hair, with FIFA utilizing ‘Snickometer’ technology – a microchip embedded inside the ball to detect contact – to confirm the ruling.
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Consequently, Portugal advanced with a 2-1 victory, eliminating Croatia from the tournament. Dalic stated afterward that VAR decisions “take the joy out of football.”
He becomes the 12th manager to have left their national team since the tournament’s kickoff, with some exits proving more bitter than others. Following Portugal’s progression past Croatia, Roberto Martínez officially stepped down from his position after his side’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the Round of 16.
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Javier Aguirre (Mexico), Carlos Queiroz (Ghana), Julian Nagelsmann (Germany), Sebastian Beccacece (Ecuador), Ronald Koeman (Netherlands), Miroslav Koubek (Czechia), Steve Clarke (Scotland), Hong Myung-bo (South Korea), Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay), and Sabri Lamouchi (Tunisia) all parted ways with their respective national teams either during the tournament or following their elimination.
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Lamouchi was the sole manager to exit midway through the competition after Tunisia was thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in their Group F opener.
Others, including Aguirre, Koeman, and Bielsa, had already planned to stand down following the 2026 World Cup. France manager Didier Deschamps will do likewise once his team, which enters the quarterfinals as the frontrunner to claim the title, concludes its run in the United States.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s future remains unclear with his contract expiring at the conclusion of the tournament and U.S. Soccer having already initiated discussions regarding a new deal.
Following the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16, Pochettino remained tight-lipped on potential extension negotiations, stating: “In the next weeks, we can start to talk if the federation wants to talk.”
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