Many rumors have circulated in recent hours that Hervé Renard will leave the Saudi national team after successfully leading the team to the 2026 World Cup. This rumor stems from family circumstances that will force him to step away from coaching altogether.
Before the crucial match against Iraq in the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers, Renard said that this was the most important match of his coaching career. He said he would explain why after the Iraq match, prompting immediate speculation. Some even suggested that he would inevitably leave the team once they qualified for the World Cup.
The Saudi national team drew 0-0 with Iraq, securing their place in the 2026 World Cup for the seventh time in their history, the second in a row under Renard, and the third in a row overall.
Renard to Remain as Saudi National Team Coach
Yasser Al-Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, came out after the Iraq match to confirm that Hervé Renard would remain as coach of the Saudi national team at least until after the Arab Championship scheduled for next December in Qatar, which will see the Green Falcons’ first team participate.
Renard’s contract with Saudi Arabia still extends through the 2027 Asian Cup. Al-Misehal confirmed that the French coach enjoys strong support from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and that there is no intention of dispensing with his services. He also stated that he wants to continue his job and has no intention of resigning.
Al-Misehal: A Translation Error Caused All This Controversy
Al-Misehal indicated in his statements that the translator at the press conference before the Iraq match mistranslated what Renard said, noting that the coach did not say that this match was the most important of his career, but rather that it was one of the most important matches of his career.
Renard intervened during Al-Mashaal’s media interview, describing the Saudi Football Association president as “a very wonderful president.” Al-Mashaal took advantage of the situation and asked him, “You said it was one of the most important matches, not the most important one.” The Frenchman replied, “Yes, that happened.”
رداً على سؤال «الشرق الأوسط» عن مستقبل هيرفي رينارد مع المنتخب ؟
🎙️| ياسر المسحل رئيس الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم في حديثه لوسائل الإعلام:
-المدرب قدم اليوم عمل مميز، وإن شاءالله سيكون مستمر وتحديداً في بطولة كأس العرب المقبلة التي سيشارك فيها المنتخب الأول، وهو مدرب يبذل جهود… pic.twitter.com/dcLCW4fHr7
— الشرق الأوسط – رياضة (@aawsat_spt) October 14, 2025
Why was the Saudi Arabia vs. Iraq match important to Renard?
Finally, Renard revealed the secret behind the importance of the Saudi Arabia vs. Iraq match for him: the death of his mother last February.
Renard continued, “The match was emotional for me because my mother passed away last February, and I had witnessed our historic victory over Argentina in 2022. However, last January, before her death in February 2025, she told me that she would not be with us in the 2026 World Cup and urged me to continue on. I remembered her words before the Iraq match.”
After the October break… the teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup
