Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, has stepped down following the Green Falcons’ early elimination from the World Cup.
Saudi Arabia ended their Group H campaign at the bottom with two points, drawing 1–1 with Uruguay and 0–0 with Cape Verde, before suffering a 4–0 defeat to Spain.
In a post on X, Al-Misehal accepted responsibility for the team’s performance, describing the result as below expectations and offering an apology to supporters.
“The failure of the national team to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position,” he wrote.
He further stated, “A sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term,” announcing his decision to resign.
Al-Misehal had led the federation for seven years and was instrumental in Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a key part of the country’s broader economic diversification plan.
The team’s struggles were preceded by a poor run of friendly results that led to the departure of coach Hervé Renard, who had returned for a second spell after replacing Roberto Mancini.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has also made major investments in football, spending close to two billion dollars to attract global stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema to its domestic league.
