Resignation of the President of the "Saudi Football Federation"

Yasser Al-Mashel, the President of the Saudi Football Federation, submitted his resignation from his position after the "Green" team was eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Mashel took responsibility for the Saudi national team's failure to qualify for the Round of 32, settling for only two points in their group.

The head of the Saudi federation wrote on his "X" account: "My colleagues and I on the board have done everything we can to serve Saudi football, and we have sincerely sought to achieve the aspirations of our nation and our fans; however, the failure of our national team to advance to the next round in the World Cup is a result that does not meet all our ambitions, and I take full responsibility for it, and I apologize to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position."

The same official added: "Based on my conviction that responsibility requires providing an opportunity for a new phase, I have decided not to continue until the end of the current term."

The Saudi team began its journey in the North American World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay; however, they suffered a heavy defeat against Spain (0-4) in the second round; they needed to win against Cape Verde in the third round to qualify; but they settled for a goalless draw that allowed their opponent, participating for the first time in its history, to finish as runner-up to Spain in Group H.

Saudi Arabia, which will host the World Cup finals in 2034, hoped to advance past the group stage for the second time after the 1994 World Cup held in the United States, but it did not succeed in its goal in its seventh participation.

Yasser Al-Mashel, who is 52 years old, was elected president of the federation in June 2019 and was endorsed for a new four-year term until 2027.

During his tenure, Saudi Arabia hosted many competitions, most notably the Spanish Super Cup, the Italian Super Cup six times, the 2023 Club World Cup, the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, and others.

The oil-rich nation is set to host the 2027 Asian Cup, as well as the Gulf Cup in the same year, leading up to the 2034 World Cup.

The Saudi league has attracted many stars of the game since 2023, including Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, French Karim Benzema, and Brazilian Neymar.

The "Green" team qualified for the World Cup finals twice during his tenure; however, it was eliminated from the group stage in Qatar 2022 with three points, and from North America with two points.