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Frenchman Hervé Renard has been dismissed as head coach of Saudi Arabia less than two months before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 57-year-old confirmed his departure to AFP on Friday, ending his second spell in charge of the national team.
Renard returned to the role at the end of 2024, having previously led Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the team stunned eventual champions Argentina in the group stage.
Reflecting on his exit, Renard said he remained proud of helping Saudi Arabia qualify for the tournament on two occasions and noted that he remains the only coach to guide the country through both qualification and the World Cup finals.
“That’s football… Saudi Arabia has 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 previously managed Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2023 before being replaced by Italian football manager Roberto Mancini.
He later took charge of the French women’s national team, leading them to the quarter-finals of both the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
He was brought back after Mancini’s disappointing 14-month tenure, but his second stint has now ended abruptly ahead of the global tournament.
Reports indicate that former Greece international Georgios Donis is being considered as his replacement.
Saudi Arabia is scheduled to face Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde in Group H of this year’s World Cup.
