• Summary

• Klopp named new Germany coach on a four-year deal
• Klopp says he’ll quit Germany job if family is targeted by media
• Former Liverpool boss succeeds Nagelsmann after early World Cup exit
• Krawietz, Lijnders and Bender join staff

Juergen Klopp began his tenure as Germany coach ​with a warning to the media on Friday, saying he would quit the job if his family was not left in peace, ‌as he was unveiled on a four-year contract.

The 59-year-old German, known for his high-intensity football and direct communication style, has been tasked with leading the four-times world champions into a new era after another disappointing World Cup campaign.

The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager replaces Julian Nagelsmann , who stepped down from the role after Germany’s penalty shootout defeat by Paraguay in the round of ​32, extending the country’s run of poor World Cup performances following group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022.

“If you behave badly and don’t leave my ​family in peace then I’ll be gone, I’ll just turn away,” Klopp told reporters.

“I’m not doing this job for myself, ⁠I’m doing it for you. I’m taking this job even though I’ve seen how you’ve treated Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel.

“I love this job but I ​am always ready to call it quits if need be.”

Klopp, who had been working as Red Bull’s global head of soccer after leaving Liverpool in 2024, will ​be assisted in the role by Peter Krawietz, Pep Lijnders and former Germany international Sven Bender.

In a typically expressive introductory press conference, he said the national team could connect “us Germans like hardly anything else” and that he was “looking forward to this special task in German football.”

‘RIGHT MAN AT THE RIGHT TIME’

German football association (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf said Klopp had been the federation’s preferred candidate ​from the outset.

“Our talks with Juergen only strengthened our belief that he’s the right man at the right time,” Neuendorf added.

Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff said ​the company had agreed to release Klopp to allow him to take the Germany job.

“This wasn’t an easy decision but together with my fellow managing directors, Franz Watzlawick and Alexander ‌Kirchmayr, we ⁠decided to support his ambition,” Mintzlaff said.

Neuendorf said the federation would donate €1 million ($1.14 million) to Red Bull’s Wings for Life foundation instead of paying compensation. He confirmed Leipzig would host three Germany internationals in the coming years.

REBUILDING GERMANY

Germany’s latest early exit marked a third successive disappointing World Cup for a team that last lifted the trophy in 2014.

Klopp takes the job less than two years after joining Red Bull. He worked as a television pundit for German broadcasters during the World Cup ​and was widely viewed as the preferred ​choice among Germany fans.

However, he drew ⁠criticism during the tournament and later apologised after suggesting Nagelsmann’s time as national coach could be nearing an end.

One of Germany’s most successful club coaches, Klopp won two Bundesliga titles and the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund before taking charge of Liverpool in ​2015. During nine years at Anfield, he led the club to almost every major honour, including the Champions League ​and Premier League titles.

“This (Germany) ⁠role is the highlight of my career and I’ll give all I’ve got to be successful,” Klopp said.

“I’m far from perfect. We’ve got a few weeks until the first international break. I think that’s enough time to get prepared.

“I want to look towards the most successful Germany coaches who also developed in the most successful way.”

The DFB said ⁠earlier this ​month that Nagelsmann had asked to be released from his contract following Germany’s World Cup exit.

Nagelsmann, who took ​charge in 2023 and became the youngest coach to lead a team in a World Cup knockout match in four decades at 38 years old, had said after the defeat that he was “not ​someone to say ‘I’m stepping down’ just because we were eliminated.”

-Reuters

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BY Kunle Solaja, who was at the UN

The FIFA World Cup brought me to New York, but on a rare free afternoon between deadlines, press conferences and match reports, I found myself drawn to another global institution that, in its own way, rivals FIFA in international significance—the United Nations Headquarters.

The visit was made even more compelling by geography. The imposing glass structure of the United Nations sits on Manhattan’s East Side, just a shouting distance from Nigeria House, the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, which I also took time to visit.

At the mission, I had the pleasant surprise of meeting a familiar face from Nigerian football history—former international Humphrey Edobor, who now serves as the mission’s first point of contact on the ground floor. We barely had enough time for a proper conversation, as his busy schedule and the steady stream of visitors demanded his attention.

Kunle Solaja (right) poses with former Nigeria international Humphrey Edobor during a visit to Nigeria House, the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York. Edobor, once one of Nigeria’s most exciting wingers, now serves at the mission.

For younger football followers, Edobor’s name may not immediately ring a bell, but in his playing days he was one of Nigeria’s most exciting wingers. He represented the country at the 1984 and 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, was a member of the Flying Eagles squad that competed at the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship in Mexico, and enjoyed successful club careers with Bendel Insurance, New Nigeria Bank, Leventis United and El-Kanemi Warriors before taking his career abroad.

For a Nigerian journalist covering the world’s biggest sporting event, the closeness of Nigeria House to the United Nations felt symbolic. One building represents the world’s largest gathering of nations in diplomacy, while the other projects Nigeria’s identity, interests and voice on the international stage.

The walk along First Avenue was refreshing. Unlike the frenetic energy of Times Square, where giant electronic billboards compete for attention, and tourists move in endless streams, this corner of Manhattan exudes a quieter authority.

The flags of the world’s nations fluttered in disciplined formation outside the United Nations complex, creating perhaps the most colourful display of international unity anywhere on earth.

As I approached the headquarters, the iconic Secretariat Building rose majestically against the New York skyline. The structure, instantly recognisable from countless television broadcasts and newspaper photographs, looked both familiar and awe-inspiring at the same time. Here, presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and diplomats gather to debate issues affecting billions of people.

For a brief moment, my role as a football correspondent seemed to give way to something entirely different. Walking through the same gates that have welcomed generations of world leaders, heads of state, presidents and diplomats, carrying my visitor’s identification badge, I found myself imagining—if only fleetingly—what it must feel like to be part of the global diplomatic community. It was a rare feeling of stepping, however briefly, into the arena where history is discussed, differences are negotiated, and decisions that shape the world are made.

A memorable moment as I stepped into the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the global centre of diplomacy, during a break from my FIFA World Cup reporting assignment.

Only days earlier, I had watched Argentina and England battle fiercely for a place in the FIFA World Cup final. Before that, I had witnessed the emotional highs and lows of Morocco’s remarkable campaign.

Standing before the United Nations, however, I was reminded that football, despite its fierce rivalries, often serves a purpose remarkably similar to diplomacy. It brings people together across borders, languages, religions and cultures, creating common experiences that transcend politics and geography.

Like any institution of global importance, the United Nations operates with carefully observed protocols. Visitors first undergo security screening before entering the complex. Entry also requires advance online booking, after which each visitor is issued a personalised photo identification pass bearing the date of the visit.

My customised United Nations visitor’s identity card—a treasured addition to a growing collection of memorabilia gathered from covering ten consecutive FIFA World Cups and visiting iconic global institutions.

For those few hours, wearing that official visitor’s pass and moving through the corridors of the world’s foremost diplomatic institution, I could not help but feel a quiet sense of privilege. It was, perhaps, the closest a sports journalist could come to experiencing life as a diplomat—representing no government, yet sharing the same space where nations engage one another through dialogue rather than conflict.

Inside the visitors’ area, the atmosphere was calm and purposeful. Tourists from every continent mingled with diplomats, UN staff members and school groups. Different languages filled the air, yet there was a shared sense of curiosity, respect and international fellowship.

The famous General Assembly Hall was particularly striking. Seeing the chamber where representatives of the UN’s 193 member states gather underscored the immense scale of the institution. One could almost imagine the echoes of the historic speeches delivered there over the decades—moments that have shaped global history.

A view of the United Nations chambers through my lens, offering a glimpse into the venue where representatives of the world’s nations gather to deliberate on issues of global importance.

One of the first sights greeting visitors inside the main building is the imposing statue of the legendary Nelson Mandela. It was impossible to walk past without pausing. Naturally, it presented an irresistible photo opportunity, standing beside the likeness of one of the world’s greatest symbols of peace, reconciliation and human dignity.

Posing beside the statue of Nelson Mandela at the United Nations Headquarters—a fitting tribute to one of the world’s enduring symbols of peace, reconciliation and human dignity.

Outside, I paused once more at the line of national flags. My eyes instinctively searched for the green-white-green banner of Nigeria. There it was, standing proudly among the colours of the world—a reassuring reminder that despite being thousands of kilometres from home, Nigeria remained firmly represented in this global city.

That simple sight unexpectedly brought me back to the World Cup.

Throughout the tournament, I had watched supporters proudly wave their national colours in stadiums stretching from Vancouver to Atlanta and from Boston to New York. The flags outside the United Nations represented a different kind of contest—not one measured by goals, trophies or league tables, but by dialogue, cooperation and the collective pursuit of peace.

As the evening sun reflected off the glass façade of the Secretariat Building, transforming it into a shimmering tower of light, I reluctantly began my walk back.

Then came a surprise.

Just as I was leaving the main building, a voice called my attention. A Nigerian working at the United Nations, Kolawole Olugboye, tapped me on the shoulder. Meeting a fellow compatriot in such an international environment added another memorable moment to an already enriching visit. We exchanged warm greetings, sharing that familiar bond Nigerians often discover with one another far from home.

A memorable encounter with Kolawole Olugboye, a Nigerian working at the United Nations, whose warm welcome added a special touch to my visit to the world body’s headquarters in New York.

Soon, however, the demands of World Cup reporting beckoned once again. Another deadline. Another match. Another story. Another chapter in what had become my historic tenth consecutive FIFA World Cup coverage.

Yet the visit left me with a lasting reflection.

Football may be the world’s game, but the United Nations remains the place where the world itself comes together.

In New York, those two worlds exist almost side by side—one celebrating competition, passion and sporting excellence; the other devoted to dialogue, cooperation and peace. Between them stands Nigeria House, proudly representing the country in the global conversation.

For one unforgettable afternoon during the FIFA World Cup, I had the privilege of walking through all three.

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has celebrated what it described as the best-ever FIFA World Cup performance by African nations, with CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe declaring that the continent’s teams made history at the expanded 2026 tournament.

Speaking on Wednesday, Motsepe praised the performances of the 10 African representatives at the World Cup, highlighting that nine of them advanced from the group stage to the Round of 32—a record 90 per cent qualification rate that surpassed every previous African campaign.

Africa was represented by Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

According to CAF, although African teams accounted for only 20.8 per cent of the 48 nations that competed at the tournament, they made up 28.1 per cent of the 32 teams that progressed to the knockout phase. The achievement was second only to UEFA in terms of the proportion of participating teams reaching the Round of 32.

Egypt and Morocco advanced to the Round of 16, while Morocco continued its impressive rise on the global stage by reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive FIFA World Cup.

CAF also singled out Cabo Verde, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Ghana and Tunisia for commendable performances during the tournament.

Motsepe described the campaign as a watershed moment for African football.

“Significant progress and successes were achieved by the African National Teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and I am very proud of their performances,” he said.

He noted that the continent’s 90 per cent qualification rate represented a dramatic improvement on previous editions, where African teams achieved qualification rates of 40 percent in 2022 and 2014, while none reached the knockout stage in 2018.

Despite the historic success, Motsepe said CAF had already identified areas requiring improvement ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

To that end, CAF will convene a technical conference with national team coaches, technical experts, former African internationals, and other stakeholders to evaluate tournament performances and formulate strategies for future success.

The CAF president also reiterated the federation’s commitment to expanding investment in youth football, coaching education, domestic leagues and national teams across all 54 member associations.

He revealed that CAF would increase funding for coaching development across its six regional zones and strengthen the CAF African Schools Football Championship as a pathway to nurture young talent.

Motsepe also stressed the importance of improving football infrastructure throughout Africa.

He called for stronger partnerships between governments, football associations and the private sector to ensure every member association has at least one stadium meeting CAF and FIFA standards, allowing national teams and clubs to play home matches before their supporters.

Expressing confidence in Africa’s future, Motsepe said CAF remained convinced that the continent would eventually produce a FIFA World Cup champion.

“Our objective is to make African football globally competitive and among the best in the world,” he said.

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