June 15, 2026, 11:23 a.m. ET
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Saudi Arabia enters Monday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Uruguay still adjusting to a coaching change. In April, Saudi Arabia dismissed Hervé Renard and turned to Georgios Donis in an effort to stabilize the team ahead of the group stage.
After leaving Saudi Arabia in 2023 to coach the France women’s national team, Renard returned in 2024 to replace Roberto Mancini. During his first stint, he led Saudi Arabia to a historic 2-1 victory over eventual World Cup champions Argentina in Qatar.
But his second spell failed to produce the same momentum. Saudi Arabia struggled in key friendlies in early March, including a 4-0 loss to Egypt and a 2-1 defeat to Serbia, which ultimately led to Renard’s dismissal.
On April 17, Renard confirmed the decision, ending a tenure that was expected to continue through 2027. Less than a week later, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced Donis as its new manager.
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The 56-year-old former Greece international arrived from Saudi Pro League club Al-Khaleej and brought extensive experience within Saudi soccer. Before taking over the national team, Donis managed four clubs across five seasons in the Saudi Pro League.
With 25 of Saudi Arabia’s 26-man roster competing in the Saudi Pro League, federation officials turned to a leader who already knew his players.
“Everything happened so fast. When we arrived and took over, this advantage was in place that I was familiar with the players,” Donis said. “Being familiar with players is one thing, training them is another.”
Most World Cup nations spend years establishing tactical continuity before the tournament begins. Saudi Arabia entered the final weeks of preparation with a limited window to implement changes under a new coach.
“Regardless of what will happen during this tournament, I’m not looking at the tree. I’m looking at the forest,” Donis said. “I’m building a team built on successes.”
Monday’s 6 p.m. kickoff against Uruguay will provide the first glimpse of what Saudi Arabia looks like in a competitive match under a new head coach. The Green Falcons went 1-1-1 in their three final World Cup warm-up matches in the United States, defeating Puerto Rico 3-0, drawing Senegal 0-0, and falling 2-1 to Ecuador.
Saudi Arabia and Donis face a difficult path out of Group H. After opening against Uruguay, they will also face Spain and Cape Verde in group play.
“[Uruguay] are a very strong team. Their coach is good, their plan is very specific, and we are asked to respond,” said Donis. “I think our group is one of the toughest of this World Cup. We will see how we will behave on the field. This is where stability and intellect is of essence as well as determination. This is what our team needs to do tomorrow.”
Katie Fryburger is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.