Saudi Arabia Football Federation president Yasser Al-Misehal resigned from his position on Sunday following the national team’s disappointing early exit from the FIFA World Cup.
Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points, crashing out of the tournament after drawing against Uruguay and Cape Verde and suffering a defeat to Spain.
In a statement posted on social media, Al-Misehal accepted full responsibility for the team’s failure to progress beyond the group stage.
“The national team’s failure to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions,” he wrote.
“I bear full responsibility for it and apologise to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.
“Believing that responsibility also means creating the opportunity for a new chapter, I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term.”
Al-Misehal served as federation president for seven years and played a key role in Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament marked Saudi Arabia’s third consecutive World Cup appearance and seventh overall. However, the team’s preparations were disrupted by the decision to replace head coach Herve Renard with Georgios Donis less than two months before the competition began.
