Soccer. Hervé Renard hopes to be at the World Cup in 2026, at the head of a men’s team

The coach of the French women’s team leading up to the Olympic Games, Hervé Renard, said on Thursday (March 28) that he hoped to coach a men’s team at the next World Cup in 2026.

“If I had to be brief, I have the men’s World Cup in mind in 2026, I hope that will be my third World Cup coaching to represent a maybe different country, or not, at the head of a men’s team. These are my personal motivations”declared Hervé Renard, who participated in the World Cup in 2018 at the head of Morocco and in 2022 as coach of Saudi Arabia.

“Send a medal for France”

“I announced things to the FFF in January. Not much has changed since we qualified for a Nations League final. My motivation is intact, he said. When I came for women’s football, it was to take on difficult challenges. You promised me hell when I came and so far we’re doing well. To do even better would be to win a medal for France. »

In an interview with Le Figaro last week, FFF president Philippe Diallo announced that Hervé Renard would be stepping down at the end of the summer: “Hervé has a contract that expires after the Olympics at the end of August 2024, and he has made it known that he is not at all sure that he will stay afterwards. He is mobilized for the Games and then he looks to the future. »

When asked if his decision to leave Les Bleues could have an impact on his group, the coach replied: “They are professionals, they knew it. No matter who leads them, their goal will not change. The goal is to win the titles, because there is talent in French women’s football.”he assured.

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His team made Olympic gold their top priority after elimination in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup and defeat in the Nations League final against Spain at the end of February. Before that, Les Bleues must qualify for Euro 2025 in a very tough group with England, Sweden and Ireland. They face Ireland on April 5 and Sweden four days later.