Saudi Arabia’s early FIFA World Cup exit prompts federation chief to resign
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xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoBy Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026The president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced his resignation after the national team were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup in the first round.
Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points after a 1-1 draw with Uruguay, a goalless draw with tournament debutants Cape Verde and a heavy 4-0 defeat to title favourites Spain. “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,” Yasser al-Misehal wrote on X late on Sunday.
“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. As the head of the federation for seven years, al-Misehal played a central role in Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a cornerstone of its strategy to diversify an economy heavily dependent on oil. Saudi Arabia were playing in their third consecutive World Cup this year.
The three-time Asian champions haven’t reached the knockout stages since a round of 16 finish in 1994. Saudi Arabia were among the seven Asian teams who were knocked out in the group stage as only Japan and Australia advanced to the round of 32. A series of poor results in friendly warm-up matches in March had already cost French coach Herve Renard his Saudi Arabia job, bringing a second spell by Renard to an end after he returned to replace Italian Roberto Mancini.
Saudi Arabia has invested nearly $2bn in football over the past three years, luring Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, now one of the most lucrative competitions in the world.
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