French coach Hervé Renard has revealed that his time in charge of the Saudi Arabia national football team has come to an end, with the decision arriving just weeks before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off.
The 57-year-old returned to lead the team again toward the end of 2024 after previously managing them during the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where they recorded a shocking group-stage triumph over eventual champions Argentina national football team.
“That’s football… Saudi Arabia have qualified for the World Cup seven times, including twice with me,” Renard told AFP via telephone.
“And there’s only one coach who has led them through both the qualifiers and the World Cup; that’s me, in 2022. At least there will be that sense of pride.”
Renard, who won the Africa Cup of Nations twice with Zambia national football team and Ivory Coast national football team, first handled Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2023 before being succeeded by Roberto Mancini.
Following that, he moved on to coach the France women’s national football team, guiding them to the last eight at both the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
He was later reappointed after Mancini stepped down from the role due to an underwhelming spell, but his second stint has now been cut short.
In the meantime, former Greece international Georgios Donis is being tipped as a possible successor, with reports suggesting ongoing talks between the Saudi federation and Al Khaleej FC, where he is currently in charge.
Saudi Arabia are drawn in Group H for the upcoming tournament, where they will go up against Spain national football team, Uruguay national football team, and Cape Verde national football team.
