In a surprising move, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced the departure of national team manager Walid Regragui. The decision comes less than two years before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, casting the team’s preparations into a new phase of uncertainty.
The federation confirmed the termination of Regragui’s contract in an official statement released on Wednesday. “The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announces the end of its contractual relationship with the coach of the first national team, Mr. Walid Regragui,” the statement read. It extended thanks to the Moroccan coach for his service during his tenure.
Regragui, famously nicknamed the “Magician of Morocco” for his historic run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals with the Atlas Lions, took charge of the Saudi national team in July 2023. His appointment followed the sudden exit of Frenchman Hervé Renard, who left to coach the France women’s team.
His time at the helm was marked by mixed results. While he successfully guided the team through the initial rounds of World Cup qualification, a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar earlier this year increased pressure. The final blow appears to have been a failure to progress in the 2024 WAFF Championship, a regional tournament for West Asian nations.
The search for a new manager begins immediately as the federation looks to stabilize the squad ahead of the crucial final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which are set to begin in September of this year.
