2026 World Cup: Georgios Donis named coach of Saudi Arabia to replace Hervé Renard

The Saudis know who will lead them this summer at the World Cup. Greek Georgios Donis was named coach of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, replacing Frenchman Hervé Renard who was dismissed less than two months before the World Cup, the Saudi federation announced.

Familiar with the Saudi championship, where he until now managed the Al-Khaleej club, the 56-year-old technician is contracted until July 2027, the federation specified on the social network X.

A former player who mainly worked in Greece, with some freelance work in England, Georgios Donis has been a coach since 2002 and has officiated extensively in Saudi Arabia. In 2015, he took charge of Al-Hilal for a season. Having passed through the main Greek clubs (AEK Athens, PAOK Salonika, Panthinaikos…), he has held positions in Saudi Arabia since 2021, at Al Wehda, Al-Fateh and most recently Khaleej.

His name was often mentioned to take over from Hervé Renard, dismissed on April 17 even though the “Green Falcons” managed under his leadership to qualify for a seventh World Cup final phase, the third in a row, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Saudi Arabia will face Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde in Group H.