Renard’s Bold Leap: Can Saudi Arabia Write a New World Cup Chapter in 2026?

Renard, the Fourth Foreign Coach Set to Lead Saudi to the World Cup

French manager Hervé Renard has taken charge of the Saudi national team, stepping into a role that carries the nation’s weighty hopes for a return to the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Renard’s reputation for molding teams into contenders makes the assignment feel timely, as Saudi football squads continue chasing a longer, brighter horizon. His arrival is a milestone, signaling another era in a football-management story that Saudi fans are eager to rewrite.

Renard would become the fourth foreign coach to guide Saudi Arabia to the World Cup, following German Otto Pfister, Argentine Gabriel Calderón, and Dutchman Bert van Marwijk. This lineage of international coaches underscores a persistent belief that global experience can unlock the team’s potential on football’s biggest stage. If Renard delivers again, his place in this lineage will be secured, and the Saudi fans will start rattling off history textbooks with an approving grin.

Renard’s impact is already felt in the national team’s trajectory. He previously guided Saudi to the 2022 World Cup and contributed to a rapid, ambitious push that has become a hallmark of the current project. The expectations are high: a coach who has shown he can navigate qualifiers and knockout stages now faces a new, larger challenge in 2026.

Path to World Cup 2026

The road to the 2026 World Cup runs through the AFC Asian Qualifiers, with Saudi placed in a group that includes Australia, Japan, Indonesia, China, and Bahrain. The campaign saw Saudi finish third in their group with 13 points, a result that forced them into the playoff route. They battled Indonesia in a tightly fought tie, securing a 3-2 victory that kept their hopes alive and advanced them to the Asian playoff round. Now the focus shifts to a decisive clash with Iraq, where a win or even a draw with favorable goal difference could secure a coveted place in the global playoff and, from there, a shot at the finals in the United States in 2026.

The broader picture is clear: the top team in the group advances directly to the World Cup, while the runner-up faces a cross-border playoff that determines one more berth for Asia. For Saudi, leading the group on goals scored would be a major advantage, reinforcing the importance of each goal in this final stretch of qualifying.

Saudi vs Iraq: The Decisive Test

Historically, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have squared off 37 times. Saudi has 11 wins, Iraq 17, and 9 matches have finished level, with a combined score tally leaning toward the Iraqis in some senior clashes. A famous wallop by Iraq in the 1976 Gulf Cup remains a reminder of the rivalry’s intensity. In the current two-legged framework, a victory or a goal-difference edge would carry Saudi through, while Iraq knows that nothing less than a win will keep their World Cup dream within reach. The atmosphere is tense, the stakes are sky-high, and Renard’s leadership will be tested in real time on a national stage that rarely leaves room for second chances.

As the two teams prepare for the decisive encounter, the Saudi camp will lean on Renard’s tactical acumen and his proven ability to steer a qualifying campaign through pressure. Iraq will counter with a plan to disrupt and overturn the odds, aiming to force a path to the global playoff that could catapult them into another generation of footballing contention.

Renard’s imprint on the team’s discipline, structure, and mentality is expected to shape the approach on match days. If the Green Falcons can translate this preparation into decisive performances, they will not only move closer to their World Cup dream but also add another significant chapter to Saudi football lore.

Punchline time. Sniper humor incoming: If Renard nails this, the World Cup trophy will need a passport and a translator—because even the silverware might struggle to keep up with all the strategic twists. And if the celebration goes long, the calendar might file a motion to stretch 2026 into 2027, just to give the Green Falcons a proper victory lap.

Punchline two: They say football is a game of inches; in Renard’s case, it’s a game of inches and inches of coffee-fueled concentration. If his plan works, even my coffee budget will start looking like a VIP pass to the World Cup party.