Saudi football federation chief resigns

Yasser al-Misehal stepped down as president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation late Sunday, taking personal responsibility for the Green Falcons' dismal exit from the 2026 World Cup at the group stage.

Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with just two points, draws against Uruguay (1-1) and Cape Verde (0-0), and a crushing 4-0 defeat to Spain. For a country that has invested nearly two billion dollars in football over three years, luring Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, it was a humbling outcome.

"The failure of the national team to qualify for the next round is a result below all our ambitions, and I take full responsibility," al-Misehal wrote on X. "Convinced that accountability requires offering the opportunity for a new phase, I have decided not to continue until the end of my current mandate."

The resignation marks the end of a seven-year tenure in which al-Misehal played a central role in securing Saudi Arabia's hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup, the crown jewel of the kingdom's Vision 2030 diversification strategy.

The tournament had already claimed one high-profile casualty before it began: French coach Hervé Renard was shown the door in March following a string of poor friendly results, ending his second stint in charge.

Hosting a World Cup in 2034 while struggling to get out of the group stage in 2026 is a contradiction Saudi football will need to resolve, urgently.