Hervé Renard has officially announced his departure from coaching the Saudi national team less than two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
There had been considerable speculation surrounding Renard’s future, particularly since the team’s elimination from the 2025 Arab Cup semi-finals, and this speculation intensified following a 4-0 friendly defeat to Egypt last March.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation had initially expressed a preference for retaining the French coach given the short time remaining before the World Cup, but ultimately, under immense public pressure, Yasser Al-Misehal decided to terminate Renard’s contract early.
Renard confirms his dismissal from the Saudi national team
Renard confirmed his dismissal from coaching the Saudi national team in a telephone interview with Agence France-Presse on Friday, bringing to a close what was arguably the most successful chapter of his career.
The 55-year-old commented on his departure from the Saudi national team, saying, “This is the nature of football. Saudi Arabia has qualified for the World Cup seven times, and I was part of that achievement on two occasions.”
He added, “I am also the only coach to have led Saudi Arabia through the qualifiers and reached the finals, in the 2022 edition. At least, this will remain a source of pride for me.”
Renard to Receive Huge Compensation for Dismissal
According to Saudi press reports, Renard will receive substantial financial compensation for his dismissal before the end of his contract, which was set to expire in February 2027.
Meanwhile, Renard missed out on the opportunity to participate in the 2026 World Cup. Ghana had attempted to sign him, but he preferred to wait for Saudi Arabia’s final decision, especially since he was very close to continuing and participating in his third consecutive World Cup.
Ghana ultimately signed renowned Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who will be leading his team in his fifth consecutive World Cup after 2010 with Portugal and 2014, 2018, and 2022 with Iran.
Donis succeeds Renard as Saudi Arabia coach
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has appointed Greek coach Giorgos Donis to succeed Renard on a contract extending until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
This is Donis’ first experience coaching a national team, but his familiarity with the intricacies of Saudi football makes him the ideal choice for the role.
The 56-year-old first arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2015, leading Al-Hilal to the Saudi League title, the King’s Cup, and the Crown Prince Cup before leaving the Blue Wave in 2016.
Donis returned to Saudi League management in 2021 with Al-Wehda, then took over Al-Fateh in 2022. He returned for a second stint with Al-Wehda in 2023 before settling with Al-Khaleej in 2024, where he remains to this day.
