Saudi Arabian Football Federation chief Yasser Al-Misehal resigns after World Cup group-stage exit

RIYADH: Yasser Al-Misehal resigned as president of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) on Monday, taking responsibility for the national team’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 and bringing an end to his seven-year tenure at the helm of Saudi football.

In a statement posted on X, Al-Misehal said the Green Falcons’ failure to reach the knockout stage had fallen far short of the ambitions of Saudi football and its supporters, and that he accepted full responsibility for the disappointing campaign.

He said stepping aside would allow for a new phase for Saudi football and confirmed that procedures would begin to open nominations for the election of a new board of directors in accordance with federation regulations.

Al-Misehal also expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support of Saudi football, as well as to Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and members of the federation’s board.

The resignation follows mounting criticism of the federation after Saudi Arabia’s third consecutive group-stage exit at a World Cup.

The Green Falcons were eliminated after drawing 0-0 with tournament debutants Cabo Verde, capping a disappointing campaign in which they failed to win a match. A 1-1 draw against Uruguay had briefly raised hopes of qualification, but a heavy 4-0 defeat to European champions Spain left Saudi Arabia needing a victory in their final group game to advance.

Instead, the team produced a lackluster performance against Cabo Verde and exited in the opening round, extending a long-standing pattern of underachievement at football’s biggest tournament.

The Kingdom has now appeared in seven World Cups but has