Saudi Arabia ended its Group H campaign at the bottom of the standings with two points, recording 1-1 and 0-0 draws against Uruguay and Cape Verde respectively, before suffering a 4-0 defeat to Spain.
Announcing his decision in a post on X late Sunday, Al-Misehal accepted responsibility for the team’s failure to progress beyond the first round.
“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,” he wrote.
Explaining his decision to leave office, 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.”
Al-Misehal has led the Saudi Arabian Football Federation for seven years and was instrumental in securing the country’s successful bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, a key project within Saudi Arabia’s broader economic diversification agenda.
The tournament marked Saudi Arabia’s third consecutive World Cup appearance, but the campaign ended in disappointment after a series of underwhelming performances.
The team’s struggles had already prompted changes before the tournament, with French coach Herve Renard dismissed following poor results in friendly matches in March. Renard’s second spell in charge came to an end after returning to replace Italian manager Roberto Mancini.
Over the past three years, Saudi Arabia has invested close to $2 billion in football, attracting global stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, which has become one of the world’s highest-paying football competitions.