Did Saudi Arabia Fire Renard? The World Cup 2026 Coaching Drama
17 December 2025
Press reports revealed the truth behind the rumored firing of Frenchman Hervé Renard, the head coach of the Saudi national team, from leading the Green before the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Riyadh-based newspaper had earlier claimed the Saudi Football Federation had decided to sack Renard before the World Cup, with a new technical director coming from one of the Pro League clubs.
But the same paper later retracted those rumors after a clarification note from the federation’s Media and Corporate Communications Department.
The statement confirmed that the Saudi Football Federation has no plans to dismiss the French coach before the 2026 finals, despite failing to win the 2025 Arab Cup in Qatar.
The Greens were eliminated from the Arab Championship in the semifinals after a 1-0 defeat by Jordan, and will face the UAE tomorrow to decide third and fourth place at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Renard faced sharp criticism after that defeat, with many Saudi football stars calling for his removal and hoping for a replacement coach before the World Cup to seek positive results.
Punchline: If rumors were goals, Renard would be the top scorer of today’s front pages.
Punchline 2: And if suspense were a stadium, we’d be watching extra time in a press room.
