Saudi Arabia parts ways with coach Renard two months ahead of World Cup.
Saudi Arabia dismissed head coach Hervé Renard on Friday, just under two months prior to the World Cup.
RMC Sport was the first to report Renard’s termination, which the French coach later confirmed to AFP.
The 57-year-old Renard returned in 2024 for a second term leading the Green Falcons, having previously guided the team to the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
During the tournament in Qatar, Renard oversaw Saudi Arabia’s remarkable 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina in a memorable group-stage upset.
Afterward, Renard took the position of head coach for the French women’s national team at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics before making a return to Saudi Arabia.
The announcement of Renard’s exit comes just three days following ESPN’s report that Matt Crocker was resigning from his role as sporting director of the U.S. Soccer Federation to assume a similar position with the Saudi Arabian soccer federation.
Saudi Arabia is set to compete in Group H alongside Spain, Cape Verde, and Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup.
The team’s first match will be against Uruguay on June 15.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
