The French newspaper L’Équipe dropped a bombshell, revealing that Hervé Renard is the one who wants to leave his position as coach of the Saudi national team, just 70 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
The French coach has faced intense criticism recently due to his team’s clear decline in performance. The anger against him intensified after the 4-0 loss to Egypt, followed by a 2-1 defeat against Serbia in the last match of the recent international break.
Renard Wants to Leave the Saudi National Team
According to the latest report, Renard is fed up with the pressure he is under in Saudi Arabia and wants to terminate his contract with the Green Falcons, leaving and not participating in his second World Cup with the Arab nation.
The criticism isn’t the only reason for the African football expert’s anger; he also believes the Saudi league’s policies have negatively impacted local players, ultimately affecting the national team’s performance.
Renard made it clear to Saudi officials that increasing the number of foreign players in each Saudi league team to eight has resulted in local players not getting playing time, whether with the top teams or even the smaller ones in the Saudi Professional League.
From Renard’s perspective, no coach can make a difference with the current Saudi players if they aren’t getting consistent playing time and are relegated to the bench. At the same time, the Saudi league, which aspires to be among the top five leagues in the world soon, cannot be changed and will continue its established policy of attracting the best players globally.
Renard may participate in the 2026 World Cup with another national team
L’Équipe indicated that Renard’s departure from coaching Saudi Arabia doesn’t mean he won’t participate in the 2026 World Cup. On the contrary, the 56-year-old has an opportunity to work with a national team that has already qualified for the tournament.
The discussion here concerns the Ghanaian national team, which announced the dismissal of its coach, Otto Addo, just hours ago due to poor results. It appears the “Black Stars” have begun negotiations with Hervé Renard to succeed him should his departure from the Saudi Arabian national team be confirmed.
If Renard takes over as Ghana’s coach, it will be the third country he has led in the World Cup, having previously managed Morocco in the 2018 Russia edition and Saudi Arabia in the 2022 Qatar edition.
Renard boasts an impressive track record in African football, beginning with Zambia, whom he guided to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title. He also achieved considerable success with Ivory Coast, later coaching Morocco, and finally settling with Saudi Arabia in his first experience outside the African continent.
Who will be the new Saudi Arabian national team coach?
All indications suggest that Renard will be leaving the Saudi Arabian national team, whether by his own choice or by a decision from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. This raises many questions about who will succeed the Frenchman in leading the Green Falcons.
According to Saudi media reports, there are currently three candidates for the position: Saudi national coach Saad Al-Shehri, Shamouska, an expert on Saudi football, and the current Al-Shabab coach, Algerian Noureddine Benzekri.
Prominent names such as Walid Regragui and Ruben Amorim have also been mentioned, but the current trend within the Saudi Football Federation is to contract a coach who has previously worked in Saudi Arabia and knows the local players well.
Saudi Arabia’s Group in the 2026 World Cup
It is worth noting that the Saudi national team was drawn into the same group as the European champions, Spain, the experienced Uruguayan team, and Cape Verde, who have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history.
The Green Falcons will begin their campaign against Uruguay on June 16, then face Spain in a rematch of their encounter in the 2006 World Cup group stage twenty years ago. They will conclude with an easier match against Cape Verde.
