Jurgen Klopp confirms pundit role for 2026 World Cup
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he will serve as a pundit for the 2026 World Cup, revealing the move in a light-hearted social media video that initially teased supporters with the prospect of a managerial comeback, reports BritPanorama.
The 58-year-old has not coached since departing Liverpool at the end of the 2023–24 season and has consistently downplayed expectations of a return to the touchline, despite links to several high-profile vacancies.
Klopp, who has since taken on a senior role with Red Bull as Head of Global Soccer, suggested earlier this year he might never manage again. His latest announcement seems to reinforce that position. In the video, he spoke over clips designed to mimic a managerial unveiling.
“Many of you have always known better,” he stated. “But I truly couldn’t envision it for myself. Going back to the sideline? I don’t miss anything. This is what I always thought. But now it is tingling again. Grass underneath my feet. The heated atmosphere in the stadium. And I want to be really close again.”
The reveal came moments later. “Oh? No, not as a manager. I am becoming a pundit for Magenta TV at the FIFA World Cup 2026.” His appointment means Klopp will cover the tournament for the German broadcaster as it unfolds across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
He is widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s most influential modern-era managers, having guided the club to their first league title in three decades and lifting the Champions League in 2019, achievements that cemented his status on Merseyside.
Although he has often been touted as a future national team coach, the former Borussia Dortmund manager will instead be analysing Julian Nagelsmann’s side rather than overseeing it. In September, he reiterated his sense of contentment away from elite coaching, saying, “That’s what I think. But you don’t know. I’m 58. If I started again at 65, everybody will say, ‘You said you’ll never do it again!’ Er, sorry, I thought 100 per cent when I said it. That is what I think now. I don’t miss anything.”
Klopp’s role with Red Bull allows him oversight of the group’s global network, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and the New York Red Bulls. Furthermore, he recently accepted a new position with the German Football League, collaborating with former Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira. Together, they will examine youth development, pathways for talented players, and ways to strengthen club structures.
The findings from their work are expected to be shared with league committees in spring 2026 before discussions with all 36 clubs. While Klopp’s future on the touchline remains uncertain, his increasing involvement off it suggests he is content shaping the sport from a strategic distance rather than returning to the day-to-day demands of management.
In stepping into this new role, Klopp embraces a different sphere of the football world, trading the sideline intensity for the analytical perspective of a pundit, an evolution that may prove equally engaging for him and his audience.
