Saudi Arabia's Turning Point: Renard, Mancini, and the Quest to Reignite the Green Falcons for World Cup 2026

On November 22, 2022, the world watched a World Cup moment that would go down in history, as the tournament favorites Argentina, who would later lift the trophy, looked like a lost child facing the Saudi Green Falcons who taught them a lesson.

The lesson from the Saudi team to Argentina wasn't just about football; it was about fighting spirit, boldness and the bravery shown by the Green Falcons’ stars, erasing all technical gaps between them and Messi's teammates, and even giving them the edge to win 2-1.

And despite Saudi Arabia's exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after losses to Poland and Mexico, the team captured the world with its courage and audacity and its ability to challenge the giants, never showing fear when facing them.

Turning Point

Yet the turning point came in March 2023, just three months after the World Cup, when Hervé Renard left to coach the France women's team.

The bigger problem wasn't Renard’s departure, but the appointment of Italian Roberto Mancini to lead the Green Falcons in his place.

Mancini's Slip

Mancini arrived after an extraordinary run, steering Italy to Euro 2020 glory, played in the summer of 2021.

But what Saudi football authorities failed to realize at the time was that Mancini’s tenure would prove exceptional in the literal sense, especially in the last decade before his appointment.

After stints at Inter Milan (2004-2008) and Manchester City (2009-2013), Mancini had not tasted significant success before taking charge of Italy.

Even with the Azzurri, Mancini’s tenure wasn’t 100% successful: after winning the European title, Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following a shock defeat to North Macedonia.

Strangely, this didn’t translate into a stronger Saudi defense either, with 22 goals conceded in 18 matches, more than a goal per game.

Lost Identity

With Renard back at the helm after Mancini's departure, fans hoped for a return to the Green Falcons’ attacking identity, especially against lower-ranked teams.

But Renard’s second spell did not fully reclaim that identity; he largely followed Mancini’s path, adopting a more cautious approach.

Renard’s shift toward defense, relying on individual players to score, became evident, including in the Gold Cup last summer.

The Green Falcons scored only two goals in four matches in that tournament, against Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago, while conceding five.

Overall, Saudi Arabia scored 18 goals in 16 matches and conceded the same, averaging more than one goal per game.

Saudi defense also featured an issue: they were missing a regular right-back Saud Abdulhamid, whose attacking prowess contrasted with defensive shortcomings; Renard preferred Ali Majrashi in some games and even moved him to other positions, away from his natural spot. He was also left out of the Czech Republic camp in September.

Return to Attack

Now the coach must unleash his players and give them boldness to seize initiative in the Indonesia and Iraq matches, the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, scheduled for the upcoming midweek games.

What bodes well is Renard’s recall of Saud Abdulhamid during the October break to face Indonesia and Iraq, with the leaders of the group set to directly qualify for the World Cup.

Perhaps the best move for Renard is to push for an attacking approach, making Saudi Arabia the aggressor with two attacking full-backs, such as Saud Abdulhamid, backed by solid midfielders.

By pressuring opponents and controlling possession, a big team’s hallmark, Saudi Arabia, one of Asia’s giants, can still reach the World Cup—provided the coach recognizes the value he has at his disposal.

Punchlines

Punchline 1: If defense is a wall, Mancini painted it with Swiss cheese—tasty, but not very impregnable.

Punchline 2: The only thing sharper than a sniper is a striker who misses a pen—talk about a plot twist.