The president of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation, Yasser Al-Misehal, has resigned following the Green Falcons’ early exit from the World Cup.
Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points, recording draws against Uruguay (1–1) and Cape Verde (0–0), before suffering a 4–0 defeat to Spain.
In a statement posted on X late Sunday, Al-Misehal said the team’s performance fell short of expectations and accepted full responsibility for the outcome.
“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.
“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,” he added.
Al-Misehal, who has led the federation for seven years, played a key role in Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a major pillar of the country’s broader strategy to diversify its oil-dependent economy.
Saudi Arabia featured in its third consecutive World Cup but failed to progress beyond the group stage once again.
The poor tournament run came after a string of disappointing results in March’s friendly matches, which led to the dismissal of French coach Hervé Renard. His departure marked the end of his second spell in charge, following his earlier return to replace Italian coach Roberto Mancini.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in football, spending nearly $2 billion to attract global stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, now one of the world’s richest competitions.
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