French manager Herve Renard has been dismissed from his role as head coach of the Saudi Arabian national team. The decision comes less than two months before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. Renard had returned for a second stint with the Saudi team at the end of 2024, having previously led them from 2019 to 2023 and guided them to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In an interview with AFP, Renard stated: "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." He is an experienced coach, having won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and Ivory Coast, and also managed the France women's team from 2023 to 2024.

Former Greece international Georgios Donis is reportedly being lined up to replace Renard. A source close to the negotiations told AFP that talks are underway between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Al Khaleej club, where Donis has been in charge since 2024. Saudi Arabia are in Group H at the 2026 World Cup, alongside Spain, Uruguay, and debutants Cape Verde, with all their group matches scheduled to be played in the United States.

The Saudi team has made six World Cup appearances, with their best result being a round of 16 finish in 1994 in the US. At the last World Cup in 2022, they suffered a group-stage exit but made global headlines with a shock 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina. Saudi Arabia is also set to host the 2034 World Cup.

Source: www.aljazeera.com