It’s the end of an era in Riyadh. After the Green Falcons crashed out of the World Cup without a single win, Saudi Football Federation president Yasser Al-Misehal has thrown in the towel and he’s not mincing his words.

Fancy a proper shake-up in Saudi football? That’s exactly what’s happening. Yasser Al-Misehal, who’s led the Saudi Arabian Football Federation for seven years, announced his resignation late Sunday on X after Saudi Arabia finished rock bottom of Group H with just two points, cbinews.tv reports

The Green Falcons managed a 1–1 draw with Uruguay and a goalless stalemate against Cape Verde, before getting hammered 4–0 by Spain. For a nation that’s splashed nearly $2 billion on football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema, it simply wasn’t good enough.

“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,” Al-Misehal wrote. “I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.”

He added: “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.”

This was Saudi Arabia’s third World Cup in a row, but the writing was on the wall after a string of poor friendlies in March. Those results already cost French coach Herve Renard his job, ending his second stint after replacing Italian Roberto Mancini.

Misehal wasn’t just any FA chief, either. He was central to Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup a huge piece of the Kingdom’s plan to move beyond oil and put itself on the global sporting map.

Now, with billions invested and the Saudi Pro League turning heads worldwide, the pressure’s on to find new leadership that can match the ambition off the pitch with results on it.

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