Jurgen Klopp has been enjoying himself at the World Cup in his role as analyst for Magenta TV
Jurgen Klopp stands next to an Adidas digital branding board featuring his former Liverpool player Luis Diaz at the World Cup in New York, June 24, 2026
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When an image of Luis Diaz popped up on a digital advertisement board in New York on Wednesday evening, Jurgen Klopp sensed an opportunity.
Like any other ordinary football fan, the legendary former Liverpool boss wanted a picture for his social media accounts next to the Adidas advertisement of the Bayern Munich and Colombia winger.
It was an act totally in-keeping with his 'Normal One' persona, which is the tagline that greets those who look up the Instagram account he launched when he left Liverpool in May 2024.
Klopp's beaming, trademark smile was present as he got the picture taken before 'tagging' his former Reds player in the post with the caption: "Look who I found".
And if there's anyone enjoying the World Cup more than the German this summer, then they are doing very well indeed.
Klopp, who now works as Red Bull's global head of soccer, has been ubiquitous in his role as analyst for German TV station Magenta.
Whether strolling through Texas in cowboy hats with Thomas Muller, playing padel alongside German basketball Dirk Nowitzki - on his birthday - or simply posing for a snap with WWE wrestler Sheamus, it's clear that the iconic manager has been on a one-man mission to soak up as much of the Stateside festivities as possible.
And why not? There is, of course, a serious and analytical element to his reason for being at the tournament, but Klopp, more than any other figure at the competition in fact, has reinforced the idea that the World Cup, at its core, is an entertainment spectacle to be enjoyed.
Reunions with former players like Alexis Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson have also been fleeting nods to a glorious, trophy-laden period on his watch at Anfield, while there was a meeting of two of the game's genuine greats when the peerless Lionel Messi embraced Klopp after becoming the World Cup's all-time top scorer with a brace against Austria on Monday.
“Happy birthday, thank you for the hug," Klopp told Sky Sport Germany, when asked if he had a birthday message for Messi on Monday evening. "You made me really famous.
"It’s so easy for you, huh? Now the whole world knows me just because you gave me a hug. Enjoy your day, have a great one. See you, latest, at the 40th.”
In his role on Magenta, he has been spiky, combative and unwilling to trot out banalities purely to justify his trip.
Jurgen Klopp and Lionel Messi shake hands after the World Cup game between Argentina and Austria in Dallas
Jurgen Klopp and Lionel Messi shake hands after the World Cup game between Argentina and Austria in Dallas(Image: Maja Hitij - FIFA via Getty Images)
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A searing riposte to Rafael van der Vaart over comparing Van Dijk to a Boeing 747 saw Klopp remark: "If he ever says something positive about a player, I'm willing to take him seriously again."
The 2020 Premier League winner also waded in on the controversial hydration breaks that have become the pantomime villains of this World Cup.
Each break has been greeted with increasingly louder boos from the fans in attendance but Klopp, who rarely took the populist approach during his nine years on Merseyside, has a different view.
"It's really hot and it's good for the players," Klopp said. "Is it good for the coaches? Yeah, I would have loved it. Maybe it's a little bit too much right now.
"It's definitely too long because for drinking, you don't need two and a half minutes or whatever.
"But that's the thing. It's got its use and when you are in the stadium, it's okay because you get a little bit of a show — in Dallas with the cheerleaders, which I enjoyed on the big screen.
"It's completely fine but I understand when you sit at home and then the commercials start... but being my age, it is a welcome break to go to the toilet!"
Then, the irascible, cantankerous side of Klopp surfaced during a round of media interviews in New York on Monday evening when he was confronted with a question over a racism storm for Bastian Schweinsteiger, following his analysis of Ivory Coast over the weekend.
Working for German broadcaster ARD, Schweinsteiger came in for criticism for his characterisation of the Ivory Coast's style of play.
Before ending the interview abruptly, Klopp said: "And now you want to carry on this subject? No, no, I have no chance, I have no chance to answer this question. Everybody likes it, so you bring me into this situation.
"It's not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject. I don't even know what is appropriate to say.
"For African people, it's one thing, for other people, it's another thing, and I'm not here. Thank God I thought nobody asked me about that. You found a moment, and surprisingly, you are German. That surprised me so much. Thank you very much."
It was a reminder, if needed, that Klopp is not the guffawing, wide-eyed cheerleader he can sometimes be broadly portrayed as by the uninitiated. At Liverpool, he was never backwards in coming forwards over questions he didn't like.
DALLAS, TEXAS - JUNE 17: Jurgen Klopp interacts with fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L match between England and Croatia at Dallas Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp interacts with fans after the World Cup match between England and Croatia at Dallas Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas(Image: Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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But it is Klopp's joie de vivre at the World Cup that has taken centre stage and it has gone a long way towards reminding Reds fans of why they fell in love with him in the first place.
And it should also firm up the fact that Klopp is simply too busy enjoying his new life to be getting dragged back into the managerial rat race., which is a topic that seemingly greets him at every turn.
The question of a coaching return was put to him once more this week, which he replied with an open answer that did not exactly hint that a sensational comeback was on the cards.
“Yeah, yeah. I [coach] every day, actually," he said. "[I say to] myself, in the morning: ‘GET UP!’ And these kind of things, yeah. We will see. We will see. Who knows?”
It was enough to leave the door ajar ever so slightly, but having seen Klopp in rare form these past two weeks, it's abundantly clear that the technical areas seems the furthest thing from his thinking.
Football, as evidenced this past fortnight needs Klopp. But it's just as obvious that he no longer needs football. Certainly not in a management capacity at least.
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