Saudi Arabia Dismisses Coach Renard Before 2026 World Cup

Saudi Arabia's football federation has dismissed head coach Hervé Renard, the 57-year-old Frenchman who guided the national team to a memorable upset victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, just 55 days before the 2026 tournament kicks off in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The decision, announced on Friday, ends Renard's second stint with the Green Falcons, which began at the end of 2024 after a 14-month tenure by Italian coach Roberto Mancini. Renard had previously managed Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2023, leading the team through qualifiers and into the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they stunned eventual champions Argentina 2-1 before exiting early. In a statement to AFP following his departure, Renard reflected, "That's football... Saudi Arabia have qualified for the World Cup seven times, including twice with me. 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's coaching resume includes two Africa Cup of Nations titles, with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015. He also took Morocco to the 2018 World Cup, their first appearance...