Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 with Iraq at home, successfully locking in a ticket to the 2026 World Cup

Saudi Arabia drew with Iraq 0-0 at home and successfully locked in a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. After the game, coach Hervé Renard’s heartwarming gesture quickly became popular on the Internet and became the focus of heated discussions among fans.

After helping the Saudi team enter the World Cup for the second consecutive time (after 2022), Renard and the whole team celebrated passionately with the fans at home. The most touching scene occurred during the celebration - he walked up to midfielder Saleh Abu Shamat and kissed his hand gently to express his sincere gratitude to this disciple for his long-term service and dedication to the country.

This respectful and emotional move quickly aroused heated discussions on social media. Some fans lamented: "Look at how he cherishes his players. This is the temperament of a championship team." Another netizen commented: "Respect is the cornerstone of building a strong team." Someone else said: "The unity and cohesion shown by the Saudi team is the key to their ability to qualify for three consecutive World Cups."

Reynard returned to coach the Saudi national team in October 2024, replacing the fired Roberto Mancini. This is not his first time coaching the Saudi team - he led the team as early as 2019 to 2023 and made history at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, defeating the eventual champion Argentina 2-1. That victory once shocked the world.

After briefly leaving the Saudi team, Renard served as the head coach of the French women's football team, leading the team to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the cooperation between the two parties ended after only one year. Now, he is once again in charge of the Saudi team coach and quickly led the team back to the World Cup stage after his return, proving his ability with his results.