By Kunle Solaja.
The dismissal of Hervé Renard by the Saudi Arabia national football team has highlighted a growing wave of coaching instability among teams heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Renard’s exit, confirmed less than two months before the tournament, is the latest in a string of managerial changes involving World Cup-bound nations, raising concerns about continuity and preparation ahead of football’s biggest stage.
The trend is not limited to Saudi Arabia. Several other qualified teams have also parted ways with their coaches in recent months, including Otto Addo, who stepped down from the Ghana national football team, Sami Trabelsi of the Tunisia national football team, and Walid Regragui, who has also been moved on by the Morocco national football team despite previous success.
Coaches, Walid Regragui (Morocco), Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia) and Ghana’s Otto Addo qualified their teams for the 2026 World Cup, but will be glaring absentees.
Together, these changes underline a broader pattern of federations opting for last-minute technical adjustments in pursuit of improved World Cup performances.
Renard, who had returned for a second spell in 2024, leaves with a notable legacy, having guided Saudi Arabia to qualification for multiple World Cups, including the famous 2-1 victory over the Argentina national football team at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
“That’s football,” Renard said. “Saudi Arabia have qualified for the World Cup seven times, including twice with me.”
His departure follows that of Roberto Mancini, continuing a cycle of managerial turnover within the Saudi setup. Greek coach Georgios Donis is reportedly in line to take over.
A Familiar World Cup Pattern
While the current wave of dismissals is striking, it is not unprecedented.
In the aftermath of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, at least eight national team coaches either resigned or were dismissed following their campaigns. These included Paulo Bento (South Korea), Luis Enrique (Spain), Roberto Martinez (Belgium), Gerardo Martino (Mexico), Otto Addo (Ghana), Louis van Gaal (Netherlands), Tite (Brazil), and Fernando Santos (Portugal).
That turnover came after the tournament; the current cycle is notable for occurring before the World Cup, suggesting an even higher level of urgency and pressure among federations.
High Stakes, Quick Decisions
Analysts say the increasing frequency of coaching changes reflects the high expectations placed on national teams, particularly those from Africa and Asia seeking to make a stronger global impact.
However, such late changes also carry risks, including tactical disruption and reduced team cohesion.
Saudi Arabia, drawn in Group H alongside the Spain national football team, the Uruguay national football team and the Cape Verde national football team, now faces the challenge of adapting quickly under new leadership.
As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues, the growing list of coaching exits — from Renard to Addo, Trabelsi and Regragui — underscores a defining narrative of the tournament’s build-up: in modern international football, even qualification offers no guarantee of job security.
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