Rabat – French coach Herve Renard is expected to stay in charge of Saudi Arabia’s national team amid rumors that Morocco’s former manager Walid Regragui could take over.
French news outlet L’Equipe said Renard will manage Saudi Arabia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his second with the Gulf country and his third in a row.
“During the international break, Saudi media had announced that Herve Renard had been dismissed from his position as head coach ahead of the friendly match against Serbia (1-2) on Tuesday,” the same source said.
L’Equipe also referenced the questions Renard had about his future of collaboration, describing him as “very close to the president of the Federation.”
Several rumors alleged that Regragui could take over as Saudi Arabia’s head coach after he split up with Morocco.
On March 5, Morocco’s Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced Regragui’s departure as head coach and appointed Mohamed Ouahbi as the Atlas Lions’ new manager.
The news came after weeks of speculation and denial that Regragui would leave his position as the national coach.
Regargui’s departure comes ahead of the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Morocco the AFCON final win by 3-0 forfeit.
In March, CAF’s Appeal Board acknowledged Senegal breached AFCON regulations, including Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament, after they withdrew from the final game against Morocco on January 18.
The Senegalese team left the pitch after coach Pape Thiaw urged players to walk off the game when a referee awarded Morocco a legitimate penalty.
Under Ouahbi, the Atlas Lions are now gearing up for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the US-Canada-Mexico in June.
