Coaches that were sacked during World Cup

International football management is a notoriously cutthroat business. While many associations wait until a tournament concludes to dissect failure, some reach a boiling point far sooner.

In the high-stakes pressure cooker of the FIFA World Cup, federations have occasionally pulled the trigger prematurely—sacking managers during or immediately on the eve of the tournament.

Whether driven by a sudden breakdown in trust, dressing-room mutinies, or disastrous opening games, these mid-World Cup sackings remain some of the most dramatic flashpoints in football history.

1. Julen Lopetegui (Spain, 2018)

Perhaps the most infamous modern sacking occurred in 2018, just 48 hours before Spain was scheduled to play their opening World Cup match against Portugal in Russia.

Spain had arrived at the tournament as one of the heavy favourites, riding a spectacular 20-match unbeaten streak under Julen Lopetegui. However, behind the federation’s back, Lopetegui negotiated a deal to become the new manager of Real Madrid after the tournament. When Real Madrid abruptly announced the signing on Tuesday, Luis Rubiales—then-president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)—felt utterly blindsided.

“The national team belongs to all Spaniards. You cannot do things this way — two days before the World Cup,” Rubiales stated during an emergency press conference.

Viewing the negotiation as an act of professional betrayal, Rubiales fired Lopetegui on the spot. Sporting director Fernando Hierro was hastily drafted in as a replacement. Unsurprisingly, a destabilised Spain unravelled, limping through the group stage before exiting in the Round of 16 to hosts Russia on penalties.

2. Henryk Kasperczak (Tunisia, 1998)

The 1998 World Cup in France holds the record for the most chaotic mid-tournament dismissals. Two different nations decided that two group-stage games were more than enough to warrant an immediate firing.

Tunisia entered the 1998 tournament with quiet optimism under Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak. However, tight but demoralising defeats to England (2-0) and Colombia (1-0) left them mathematically eliminated from reaching the knockout rounds with one game left to play. Rather than letting Kasperczak finish out the week, the Tunisian Football Federation sacked him instantly. Caretaker Ali Selmi took charge for the final group match, steering a shell-shocked squad to an admirable -1-1 draw against Romania.

3. Cha Bum-kun (South Korea, 1998)

South Korea took an even harsher approach with legendary figure Cha Bum-kun. After a 3-1 opening-match loss to Mexico, the Taeguk Warriors were completely dismantled 5-0 by a rampant Netherlands side.

The South Korean federation was so humiliated by the performance that they fired Cha before the team even boarded the bus to leave the stadium. Assistant coach Kim Pyung-seok was handed the reins for the final match, earning a 1-1 draw against Belgium before the team headed home.

4. Raymond Domenech (France, 2010)

While Raymond Domenech technically remained on the bench for France’s final group game at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he was effectively stripped of his authority and sacked “in spirit” mid-tournament following one of the greatest meltdowns in sporting history.

Following a 2-0 loss to Mexico, star striker Nicolas Anelka engaged in a profane half-time altercation with Domenech. When Anelka refused to apologise, the French Football Federation (FFF) sent him home. In retaliation, the entire French squad mutinied, refusing to train and staging a sit-in on the team bus—forcing Domenech to humiliatingly read their protest statement aloud to the global media.

Domenech was widely condemned, and while his formal termination papers were processed immediately following their group-stage exit, his reign had effectively been terminated by his own players mid-tournament.

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