The former Paris Saint-Germain manager has come out in defence of the Frenchman Hervé Renard, the Saudi national team’s head coach, insisting that he will deliver outstanding performances at the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Renard has faced fierce criticism, with calls for his dismissal even before the World Cup finals began, following two friendly defeats against Egypt (0-4) and Serbia (1-2) in March.
Another Frenchman, Christophe Galtier, the current manager of Neom and former Paris Saint-Germain boss, has defended Renard, insisting that defeats in friendly matches are not a true measure of a team’s ability, and expressing his confidence that the side will perform well at the World Cup.
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Galtier said in comments reported by the Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: “It is difficult to assess the Saudi national team’s performance, but I believe Renard has called up a large number of players in order to identify the best ones before the World Cup.”
He added: “Friendly matches before the World Cup kick-off are not particularly important, because on the day the tournament begins, things will be different.”
He concluded: “We must put the two defeats suffered by the Saudi national team behind us, and I am certain the team will put in an outstanding performance at the World Cup.”
It is worth noting that the Saudi national team is in Group H of the World Cup, alongside Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde, with the top two teams qualifying directly, along with the eight best third-placed teams from the 12 groups.