Renard’s Recycled Playbook: Saudi Stifles Iraq to Seal a World Cup 2026 Route

French coach Hervé Renard orchestrated a fiery siege on Iraq, steering the Green Falcons toward a World Cup 2026 berth in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 with Iraq on Tuesday night at the Al-Enmaa Stadium, closing the Asian play-off to the World Cup.

The Green finished top of their Asian play-off group with four points, ahead on goal difference over Iraq, securing a seventh World Cup appearance and a third in a row.

Offensive Start

Saudi’s opening plan was different from the Indonesia game: Renard switched the full-backs, starting Saud Abdulhamid on the right and Ayman Yahya on the left, to press higher.

Saudi’s more forward-minded approach, aided by Saud Abdulhamid’s more aggressive touch and Ayman Yahya’s natural right-wing instincts, signaled Renard’s intent to attack Iraq from the outset.

Meanwhile Renard kept the backbone from the Indonesia match—Hassan Tembakti and Jihad Dakri at center-back, with Abdullah Al-Kheibri, Musab Jaweir, and Nasser Al-Dosari in midfield, and Salem Al-Dosari, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, and Firas Al-Briqan up front.

Renard’s plan aimed to overwhelm Iraq early, with a compact defense and a quick transition to dangerous wide-play, testing Iraq’s rearguard under sustained pressure.

The Repeated Trick

Renard deployed a familiar trick from the Indonesia game on the right: Saleh Abu Al-Shamat drifts into central areas, dragging Iraq’s left-back with him and leaving space on the flank.

As soon as Saudi won possession, Abu Al-Shamat moved into the middle to pull the Iraqi defender, keeping the corridor wide open for a left-sided attack.

The play then swung to the left, with a through ball aimed at exploiting the vacated space for Saud Abdulhamid to attack, testing Iraq’s cover and creating chances—though finishing let Saudi down on several occasions.

The left-back from the French league province that the move could yield danger more than once, but the final touch continued to elude the Green Falcons.

Saudi Siege

From the opening whistle through the middle of the second half, Saudi Arabia pressed Iraq with iron discipline, both in defense and in attack.

The Saudis maintained a high tempo, challenging Iraq’s defenders and denying easy build-up, which forced long balls and quick transitions but kept Saudi control high in midfield battle and in the final third.

Long balls from Iraq were routinely repelled, as Saudi players won nearly every duel—air and ground—reducing Iraq’s chances to create clear-cut opportunities.

The Iraqi attempts, limited to moments of individual skill and set pieces, produced little genuine danger on Nawaf Al-Aqidi’s goal.

Despite clear dominance and several forays into shooting positions, finishing remained the stumbling block for Saudi: the trio of Firas Al-Briqan, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, and Salem Al-Dosari squandered several clear chances, leaving fans puzzled by the final touch.

The captain Salem Al-Dosari, in particular, endured a frustrating spell, failing to convert a decisive moment in a night of near-misses.

Three Steps Back

As Iraq pressed higher, Renard began to pull his team back in a measured, three-step retreat to protect the result.

First, Nawaf Boshel was moved to left-back to shore up the flank and curb Iraqi forays along that channel.

Next, Renard introduced Abdulilah Al-Omari as a third defender beside Hassan Tembakti and Jihad Dakri, while retaining Nasser Al-Dosari and Abdullah Khubri in midfield to shield the backline.

In stoppage time, Saad Al-Mousa replaced Nasser Al-Dosari, effectively locking the defense as Saudi closed out the match and sealed their path to Qatar’s cousins’ future in 2026.

Those pragmatic moves squeezed the life out of Iraqi attacks and preserved the precious point, completing the tactical arc of Renard’s plan for the night.

Punchline 1: If Renard ever ran a sniper school, his slogan would be: aim for the space, not the crowd—your target might be wide, but the goal is exactly on target.

Punchline 2: In Renard’s playbook, even a stalemate might feel like a victory lap—just with cleaner passes and louder whistles.