The President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al-Mishal, has resigned following the early elimination of the national team from the World Cup. Saudi Arabia finished at the bottom of Group H, earning just two points after draws against Uruguay and Cape Verde, alongside a defeat to Spain, which led to their exit from the tournament.
“Inability of the national team to advance to the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions,” Al-Mishal wrote on social media. “I take full responsibility for this and apologize to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.”
Driven by the belief that accountability requires creating space for a new phase, he added, “I have decided not to continue my work until the end of the current term.”
Al-Mishal had held his position for seven years and played an active role in Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The Saudi national team was making its third consecutive and seventh overall World Cup appearance, but their preparations were disrupted when the federation replaced Hervé Renard with Georgios Donis less than two months before the tournament began.
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